Director of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Marzieh Shah-Daei said Iran’s petrochemical industry, despite being a huge line of business influential in the country’s GDP and enjoying the largest share in non-oil exports, still requires support for development.
“Given the existing capacities, Iranian petrochemical industry requires further backing,” stressed the official adding that although good domestic investors exist inside the country, high risk prevents them to make investments in the industry.
She pointed to the 50-year history of the NPC’s activities asserting that the company, in the meantime, has always supported the country’s petchem industry; “in recent years, all companies and complexes worked under supervision of NPC and the government and the revenue of major investments was used to develop and boost capabilities of firms in Mahshahr and Asaluyeh.” “The measure marked the last leap in Iran’s petrochemical industry since assignment of companies and complexes to the private sector changed policies of National Petrochemical Company.
Shah-Daei deemed attraction of foreign investment, in line with general policies of the country, as one advantage of petchem industry explaining that “from now on, NPC will act as designer and facilitator of plans and policies by paving the path for presence of the private sector.”
“NPC has been put in charge of issuing permits for extension or implementation of petrochemical projects as well as for making decisions for incomplete plans,” the official continued.
Presently, the number of petrochemical complexes in Mahshar, Asaluyeh and other regions are 20, 12 and 18 respectively yielding an aggregate total capacity of 61.5 million tons per year.
“Ongoing projects are being carried out in Mahshar, asaluyeh or other regions and credits have been opened for five projects through Chinese financing,” said Shah-Daei noting that five other projects will be financed by the National Development Fund (NDF).
At the end of her remarks, NPC managing director said priorities of the company included elevation of nominal capacity as well as completion of halted projects; “licenses of projects which have reached a hiatus will be handed over to other eager investors.”
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