TEHRAN - An upgraded version of the oil industry’s comprehensive catalyst document was unveiled in a ceremony on Thursday, on the sidelines of the 16th International Exhibition of Plastic, Rubber, Machinery, and Equipment (IRAN PLAST).

The ceremony was attended by senior officials including head of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Morteza Shahmirzaei, Head of National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Majid Chegeni and Managing Director of Iran's Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (PRTC) Majid Daftari, Shana reported.

Speaking at the ceremony, Daftari noted that the mentioned document has been updated by PRTC in collaboration with domestic knowledge-based companies and scientific centers over the past year.

Stating that technical knowledge is the driving force in the petrochemical industry, the official said: “There are currently 99 types of catalysts, absorbers and initiators used in the country's petrochemical industry among which we have so far been able to localize and produce 88 catalysts.”

“Due to the updating of the country's catalyst document, the knowledge for the production of the rest of the catalysts will also be localized by the end of the 13th government administration,” he said.

Daftari pointed out that the petrochemical industry is 98 percent self-sufficient in the field of catalysts saying that the remaining two percent should be localized within the next three years.

Earlier this month, Daftari said that homegrown technical know-how has reduced investment costs in the petrochemical industry by 30 percent.

According to Daftari, PRTC has played a significant role in indigenizing the knowledge for the production of over 85 percent of the catalysts used in the petrochemical industry, saying: “According to the promise we made to the oil minister last year, the research activities on strategic catalysts were carried out in 1400 [previous Iranian calendar year ended on March 20], and by the end of this year, in addition to several strategic catalysts being finalized and ready to be supplied to the industry, several catalyst production units will also be put into official operation.”

Iran’s 16th International Exhibition of Plastic, Rubber, Machinery and Equipment (IRAN PLAST) kicked off at the Tehran Permanent International Fairground on Wednesday.

As reported, 600 domestic companies as well as 10 foreign exhibitors are participating in the current year’s exhibition.

Delegations from 19 different countries including Pakistan, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Syria, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Nakhchivan Republic, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Tunisia, Qatar, Oman, Afghanistan, Brazil, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Romania, Iraq, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Poland and Spain are also visiting the exhibition.

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Photo: NIGC Head Majid Chegeni (L) and NPC Head Morteza Shahmirzaei unveil oil industry’s comprehensive catalyst document.