IDRO to Invest $18 Million in Stone Paper Factory Construction

The Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran will be investing in the construction of a stone paper factory in the city of Kharameh in the southwestern Fars Province with a production capacity of 20,000 tons per year.

Deputy head of IDRO, Abolfazl Kiani Bakhtiari, said about 830 billion rials ($18.4 million) worth of investments will be made in the project, adding that the factory will be established in an underdeveloped region.

“The factory will offer its products to the market within the next 18 months,” he was quoted as saying by ISNA.

According to the official, the production capacity of this unit can be expanded to 50,000 and 100,000 tons per year in the next stages.

Stone paper also known as rock paper, paper from waste marble, mineral paper, sustainable paper or eco paper, is a type of strong and durable paper-like product manufactured from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene.

It is used for stationery, leaflets, posters, books, magazines, bags, packaging, wallpaper, adhesives, tags, in-mould labels, plates, trays and containers. It contains 80% calcium carbonate, 15% polyethylene or polypropylene and 5% additives, and uses a lot less water compared with cellulose paper for which trees need to be cut.

Iran’s first-ever stone paper factory opened in the city of Shendabad in East Azarbaijan Province’s Shabestar County back in May.

According to director general of the factory, Hamidreza Ilkhani, 76 billion rials (more than $1.6 million) worth of investments have gone into the construction of the factory’s first phase that has the capacity to produce 3,000 tons of paper annuallyar.

Ilkhani explained that stone paper produced in this factory are recyclable and 70% cheaper compared to paper made from wood pulp.

“We have succeeded in indigenizing 70% of the technical know-how and production formulation of this eco-friendly product,” he said. 

Established in 1967, IDRO has evolved into one of the largest conglomerates of Asia. The organization’s objective is to accelerate Iran’s industrialization process and export Iranian products. It owns more than 100 subsidiaries and affiliated companies both domestically as well as internationally.