TEHRAN - The 10th International Exhibition of Plastic, Rubber, Machinery and Equipment of Iran, dubbed Iran Plast 2016, will pave the way for exporting petrochemical products and acquiring modern technology, according to Mohammad Maqareh, the director of the event.

By Mahnaz Abdi

The 10th International Exhibition of Plastic, Rubber, Machinery and Equipment of Iran, dubbed Iran Plast 2016, will pave the way for exporting petrochemical products and acquiring modern technology, according to Mohammad Maqareh, the director of the event.

The exhibition will be held from April 13 to 17 at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds.

Maqareh made the remarks in a press conference on Monday.

Also addressing the same conference, Marzieh Shahdaie, the managing director of Iran's National Petrochemical Company (NPC), mentioned the development of downstream petrochemical industries in rubber and plastic fields as the main objective of the exhibition.  

“As development of these industries does not only target the domestic market, but also foreign markets, therefore, we intend to attract foreign technology and investment in this regard,” the official noted.

She said Iran Plast will be participated by 400 Iranian and 500 foreign companies.

Companies from 13 European countries and 10 Asian countries in addition to one company from Africa and one from Oceania will participate in the exhibition; Shahdaie announced, adding that 200 top traders and businessmen in the form of some delegations from foreign chambers of commerce will also visit the exhibit.

Companies from Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Britain, Spain, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Belgium, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Bahrain, Pakistan, South Africa and Australia will showcase their achievements in the exhibition, while delegations from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, Bangladesh, Russia, Armenia, Tajikistan, Belarus, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tunisia and Kenya will visit the event, according to the director of Iran Plast.

*** ‘Output increase, downstream industries development top agenda’

Elsewhere in her remarks, Shahdaie referred to increasing the output of current petrochemical complexes as well as developing downstream industries as two main objectives of the NPC in the current Iranian calendar year (which began on March 20).

She said as downstream industries bring high value added and also create many jobs, their development is atop agenda of the NPC.

She mentioned attraction of foreign investment another objective of the NPC for the current year, saying, “It is a target we are following up more seriously after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.”

Fortunately, many companies from Europe and Asia are willing to invest in Iran’s petrochemical sector and negotiations are underway with them, the official highlighted.

Referring to the NPC’s negotiation with France’s oil giant Total over constructing a petrochemical complex in Iran, Shahdaie said Total used to make investment in Iran’s upstream oil and gas industries while it is now showing interest in making investment in the petrochemical sector.

“We are also negotiating with three German companies for attracting investment”, the NPC director said, adding, the Germans show high interest in Iran’s petrochemical industry.

*** ‘Annual petchem output to rise by 6-7m tons’

Shahdaie went on to say that Iran’s petrochemical production is planned to rise by 6-7 million tons in the current calendar year through constructing ten new complexes.

She put the country’s petrochemical output at 44 million tons in the past calendar year.

The official also mentioned variety of feedstock, existence of expert manpower and access to the international waters as some advantages Iran enjoys for development of its petrochemical sector.

Officials say the country has the capacity to produce 60 million tons of petrochemicals per annum. 

*** ‘Asian countries main buyers of Iran’s petrochemicals’

Asian countries specially China and India, regarding their high population, will be the main export destinations of Iran’s petrochemical products in the current year, while the NPC’s affiliate companies are strongly planning to export their products to Europe, Shahdaie told the Tehran Times.

Iran exported 19 million tons of petrochemical products during the past Iranian calendar year of 1394 (which ended on March 19), a 2.5-million-ton increase compared to its preceding year.

In January, Abbas Sha’ri-Moqaddam, the former managing director of NPC, said the post-sanctions time creates a proper opportunity for development of Iran’s petrochemical sector.

In a ceremony held in Tehran on December 28, 2015 to celebrate the 51st establishment anniversary of the NPC, Mohammad-Hassan Peyvandi, the deputy managing director of the company, said petrochemical industry can crown Iranian economy, because many other industries of the country are relying on it.