TEHRAN - The head of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Morteza Shahmirzaei says that over 97 petrochemical facilities are operating across Iran.

The official referred to the growth in Iran’s petrochemical industry, adding that there were only 6 petrochemical complexes in the country when the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled former Shah and the Islamic Republic was founded 45 years ago.

Noting that the country produces some 550 different types of petrochemical products, he said that each one of these products helps the development of a part of the Iranian industry.

He expected that Iran’s petrochemical output will reach 100 million metric tons (mt) by the end of the current calendar year to March 2025.

Shahmirzaei had eralier said NPC is planning to complete 13 new petrochemical projects by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (late March 2025).

“One of the strategies of the petrochemical industry in the year "production leap with people's participation" is to put 12 new petrochemical projects into operation by the end of [the current Iranian calendar]1403 and use all available capacities,” the official said.

He stated that the completion of 12 petrochemical projects by the end of this year will have a significant impact on the growth of production and economic development of the country.

The NPC head had previously put the country’s petrochemical production capacity at over 92 million tons, and said: “Today we are almost self-sufficient in the main petrochemical sectors including products and equipment.”

Iran's petrochemical industry accounts for 28 percent of the region's petrochemical capacity and 2.7 percent of the world's petrochemical capacity, he announced.

The petrochemical industry plays a crucial role in Iran’s non-oil economy, as petrochemical export is the second-largest source of revenue for the country after crude oil. Petrochemical exports already constitute nearly 33 percent of the country’s non-oil exports.

According to Shahmirzaei, the company plans to increase its annual petrochemical production capacity to 200 million tons over the next 10 years.

EF/