26 June 2011
Iran is the second largest producer of petrochemicals in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia, with 27 percent of the region's total production.
Qatar with 9 percent and Kuwait and Oman (each by 5 percent) are third and fourth largest producers of petrochemicals in the Middle East, IRIB reported.
Estimates show that with the commissioning of development plans and projects in the Persian Gulf by 2015, nominal production capacity of petrochemicals in this region will increase by 46 percent to reach 155 million tons per year which is 20 percent of the global output.
In other regions including North America, Europe and South America, it is projected that production of petrochemicals will fall by 5 percent, 3 percent and 1 percent respectively sliding from 25 to 20 percent, 23 percent to 20 percent and 4 to 3 percent of the total global output in 2015.
Meanwhile, production in Asian countries is predicted to rise by 5 percent from 31 percent to 36 percent while production in African countries will remain unchanged at one percent in 2015.
However it is predicted that the combination of products in the Middle East region will remain unchanged.
The products include 37 percent of base materials, 28 percent of fertilizers, 20 percent of polymers and 15 percent of intermediary products.
Exports
Last year, Islamic Republic of Iran produced 40 million tons of petrochemicals of which more than 16 million tons were exported.
In December 2010, the Oil Ministry reported a 35-percent increase in Iran's petrochemical production over the seven-month period between March 21 and October 22. Iran sold about 14.13 million tons of petrochemical products during the period.
Iran exported about 14 million tons of petrochemical products worth more than $9 billion in 2009.
Iran's petrochemical exports to China exceeded $1.65 billion in the current Iranian calendar year from an average of $482 million in recent years. By the end of March 2011, the value of Iran's petrochemical exports to China reached $2 billion.
Iran is currently trying to increase petrochemical exports by targeting new markets in Africa, Latin America, and China.
Petrochem Centers in China
Iran will set up two new petrochemical centers in China to increase exports to this Asian nation, managing director of Iran's Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC) said in May.
Pointing to the country's plan to diversify target markets, Reza Hamzehlou told Mehr News Agency that India and China will be the major destinations for Iran's petrochemical and polymer products.
Currently, Iran operates a petrochemical office in Shanghai, he said adding another would be established in Beijing in the near future.
At present, China, with annual imports worth $2.5 billion, is considered as Iran's largest market for petrochemicals.
India has also become on
of the biggest customers of Iran's petrochemical products. The Indians have bought Iranian petrochemical products such as PVC grades in advance. Even the first consignment of caustic soda, manufactured by Arvand Petrochemical Complex, has been exported to India.
Vietnam, South Korea and Malaysia are the other Asian buyers of petrochemical products.
44m-Ton Output
Earlier, Ali-Mohammad Bosaghzadeh, an official at the National Petrochemical Company said close to 44 million tons of petrochemical products would be manufactured during the current Iranian year to March 2012, IRIB reported.
He explained the petrochemical units will undergo maintenance and overhaul to achieve the highest productivity.
The official put the production capacity of petrochemical units at 51 million tons.
Moreover, by commissioning new units, close to 6.5 million tons would be added to domestic petrochemical capacity, he pointed out.
65 Projects in Pipeline
According to the managing director of National Petrochemical Company about 65 new petrochemical projects with an annual production capacity of 66 million tons are expected to come on stream during the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010-15).
Abdolhussein Bayat estimated the total capital investment in the projects at $50 billion, Mehr News Agency reported.
The company's plans include the construction of 8 methanol and 9 ammonia projects, Bayat said, adding Iran seeks to become the top producer of petrochemical products by 2025.
Iran is the second largest producer of petrochemicals in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia, with 27 percent of the region's total production.
Qatar with 9 percent and Kuwait and Oman (each by 5 percent) are third and fourth largest producers of petrochemicals in the Middle East, IRIB reported.
Estimates show that with the commissioning of development plans and projects in the Persian Gulf by 2015, nominal production capacity of petrochemicals in this region will increase by 46 percent to reach 155 million tons per year which is 20 percent of the global output.
In other regions including North America, Europe and South America, it is projected that production of petrochemicals will fall by 5 percent, 3 percent and 1 percent respectively sliding from 25 to 20 percent, 23 percent to 20 percent and 4 to 3 percent of the total global output in 2015.
Meanwhile, production in Asian countries is predicted to rise by 5 percent from 31 percent to 36 percent while production in African countries will remain unchanged at one percent in 2015.
However it is predicted that the combination of products in the Middle East region will remain unchanged.
The products include 37 percent of base materials, 28 percent of fertilizers, 20 percent of polymers and 15 percent of intermediary products.
Exports
Last year, Islamic Republic of Iran produced 40 million tons of petrochemicals of which more than 16 million tons were exported.
In December 2010, the Oil Ministry reported a 35-percent increase in Iran's petrochemical production over the seven-month period between March 21 and October 22. Iran sold about 14.13 million tons of petrochemical products during the period.
Iran exported about 14 million tons of petrochemical products worth more than $9 billion in 2009.
Iran's petrochemical exports to China exceeded $1.65 billion in the current Iranian calendar year from an average of $482 million in recent years. By the end of March 2011, the value of Iran's petrochemical exports to China reached $2 billion.
Iran is currently trying to increase petrochemical exports by targeting new markets in Africa, Latin America, and China.
Petrochem Centers in China
Iran will set up two new petrochemical centers in China to increase exports to this Asian nation, managing director of Iran's Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC) said in May.
Pointing to the country's plan to diversify target markets, Reza Hamzehlou told Mehr News Agency that India and China will be the major destinations for Iran's petrochemical and polymer products.
Currently, Iran operates a petrochemical office in Shanghai, he said adding another would be established in Beijing in the near future.
At present, China, with annual imports worth $2.5 billion, is considered as Iran's largest market for petrochemicals.
India has also become on
of the biggest customers of Iran's petrochemical products. The Indians have bought Iranian petrochemical products such as PVC grades in advance. Even the first consignment of caustic soda, manufactured by Arvand Petrochemical Complex, has been exported to India.
Vietnam, South Korea and Malaysia are the other Asian buyers of petrochemical products.
44m-Ton Output
Earlier, Ali-Mohammad Bosaghzadeh, an official at the National Petrochemical Company said close to 44 million tons of petrochemical products would be manufactured during the current Iranian year to March 2012, IRIB reported.
He explained the petrochemical units will undergo maintenance and overhaul to achieve the highest productivity.
The official put the production capacity of petrochemical units at 51 million tons.
Moreover, by commissioning new units, close to 6.5 million tons would be added to domestic petrochemical capacity, he pointed out.
65 Projects in Pipeline
According to the managing director of National Petrochemical Company about 65 new petrochemical projects with an annual production capacity of 66 million tons are expected to come on stream during the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2010-15).
Abdolhussein Bayat estimated the total capital investment in the projects at $50 billion, Mehr News Agency reported.
The company's plans include the construction of 8 methanol and 9 ammonia projects, Bayat said, adding Iran seeks to become the top producer of petrochemical products by 2025.
© Iran Daily 2011
