TEHRAN - Head of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) Vajihollah Jafari said his organization is going to complete 12 semi-finished mining industry projects by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2023).

According to Jafari, the estimated amount of investment made in the mentioned projects is $1.403 billion and they will provide direct employment for 2,887 people while indirect jobs will be created for more than 7,599 people, IRNA reported on Saturday.

The projects are in various fields including copper, steel, lead, zinc, ferrochrome, coal, hydrated lime, and phosphate, Jafari said.

The official noted that four of the mentioned projects are related to the copper chain, two will go operational in the steel chain, some mines will also be revived and several infrastructure projects will also be inaugurated.

As the major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in Iran, IMIDRO has been playing a significant role in developing the mining industry in the country.

In addition to new exploration and development projects, over the past few years, the organization has been pursuing a program for reviving idle small-scale mines across the country.

Having 81 different types of minerals, Iran is one of the top 10 mineral-rich countries across the globe. In this regard, the Iranian government has been seriously pursuing several programs for promoting the mining sector as a major contributor to the country’s economic growth.

Iran's proven iron ore reserves are 2.7 billion tons, while the country’s copper reserves are 2.6 billion tons. The country also has 11 million tons of zinc reserves.

The total proven reserves of Iran's mines are estimated at about 60 billion tons, which is expected to reach more than 100 billion tons with the implementation of the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry’s exploration programs over 500,000 square kilometers of new mineral zones.

EF/MA