Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran and China have agreed to establish an industrial park in Iran's southern Jask Port, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, the Islamic Republic's Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade said.
The plan is aimed at development of Iran's industries including petrochemical and oil refining, Nematzadeh said, the country's Fars news agency reported Jan. 19.
He added that petrochemical units and refineries as well as steel and aluminum units would be constructed in the park that plans to encompass an area of over 3000 hectares. The park will help Iran to boost its petrochemical exports, Nematzadeh said.
Nematzadeh added that Iran has exported $12-13 billion worth of petrochemical during the current fiscal year (started on March 21, 2014).
Approximately $6-7 billion worth of petrochemical products were also supplied to the domestic industry during the period, the minister said.
According to the Custom Administration's latest monthly report, Iran exported 12.727 million metric tons of petrochemical products valued at $9.8 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Dec. 22, 2014).
Ali Mohammad Basaqzadeh, an official with the National Petrochemical Company said Jan. 17 that Iran's petrochemical output has exceeded 35 million metric tons since the beginning of the current Iranian fiscal year.
He added that the figure was 71 percent of the country's nominal petrochemical capacity.
The volume of petrochemicals produced during the mentioned period was 9 percent more than the figure corresponding to the same period in the previous year, Basaqzadeh said.
Previously, Basaqzadeh said that the country's total petrochemical output would reach 42 million metric tons by the end of the current Iranian fiscal year (March 20, 2015), if the petrochemical unites are supplied with needed feedstock.
He said a natural gas shortage is the main reason preventing realization of nominal production capacity.
Edited by CN
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