Quarterly aluminum ingot output stands at nearly 167,000 tons

July 18, 2023 - 12:42

TEHRAN – Production of aluminum ingot in Iran stood at 166,986 tons in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), nine percent more than the goal set for the output in the mentioned three months, IRIB reported.

Based on the data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), the production of aluminum ingot in the first quarter of the current year fell three percent compared to the last year’s same period when the figure was 398,610 tons. 

Among the country’s four major producers, South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO) had the best performance in the first three months of the present year, producing 73,591 tons of aluminum ingots, followed by Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) producing 45,639 tons, Almahdi Aluminum Company producing 38,169 tons, and Iran Alumina Company producing 9,587 tons of ingots.

 Iran exports 65% of its produced aluminum ingot

According to the Deputy Head of Iran Aluminum Industries Syndicate Ariya Sadegh-Niyat, major Iranian aluminum producers exported about 65 percent of their ingot production to foreign destinations in the previous calendar year.

“About 65 percent of aluminum ingot production last year went to export markets, and any price increase in global markets will directly affect the income of upstream producers,” Sadegh-Niyat said.

The official put the country’s current aluminum production capacity at about 700,000 tons, saying that the figure is planned to reach 1.5 million tons by the Iranian calendar year 1404 (begins in late March 2025).

Based on the data previously released by IMIDRO, the production of aluminum ingot stood at 632,166 tons in Iran during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

Among the country’s four major producers, South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO) had the best performance in the past year, producing 270,185 tons of aluminum ingots, followed by Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) producing 178,077 tons, Almahdi Aluminum Company producing 147,749 tons, and Iran Alumina Company producing 36,155 tons of the product.

Iranian officials estimate the country’s aluminum sector has a value of $22 billion, which is sufficient to meet the country’s aluminum needs.

At present, Iran is the 18th biggest aluminum-producing country in the world.

EF/MA