TEHRAN: Iran exported more than 3.1 million tons of petrochemical products, worth $870 million, in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, the Shana news agency reported on Saturday.
Based on official statistics, Iran has a capacity to produce 60 million tons of petrochemical per year. The country’s annual petrochemical export is currently about 17 million tons.
National Iranian Petrochemical Company’s Managing Director Abbas She’ri Moqaddam said in April that some $30 billion of investment opportunities have been identified in Iran’s petrochemical sector, which will be certainly welcomed by European and Asian investors after the sanctions against the country are lifted.
In June 2014, She’ri Moqaddam said Iran plans to boost annual petrochemical production capacity to 180 million tons from around 60 million tons currently.
Once the semi-finished petrochemical projects are completed and a number of planned petrochemical units come on stream, the country’s petrochemical output will be increased to 180 million tons per year, he added.