TEHRAN - Amir Khorrami-Shad, the managing director of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation (IMIDRO), has said two plans will be launched aiming to save $600 million annually in imports.

In the first phase, launching an alumina production unit with a capacity of 800,000 tons can save at least $300 million annually, he said.

Launching a sponge coke production unit can also save $300 million, he added.

The production capacity of aluminum ingots in the country is currently about 800,000 tons per year, Khorrami-Shad noted.

“We need some 1.6 million tons of alumina powder to meet the production capacity, while the country’s alumina powder production capacity is just around 240,000 tons, and it is necessary to import to supply aluminum factories.”

Therefore, $700 million is needed annually to import 1.6 million tons of alumina, he stressed.

MG