TEHRAN - Production of aluminum ingot in Iran reached 400,425 tons in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), according to the data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).

IMIDRO is a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in Iran. It has eight major companies and 55 operational subsidiaries active in steel, aluminum, copper, cement, and mineral exploitation fields.

As the organization has reported, among the country’s four major producers, South Aluminum Corporation (SALCO) had the best performance in the mentioned eight months, producing 162,459 tons of aluminum ingots, followed by Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) producing 115,624 tons, Almahdi Aluminum Company producing 999,954 tons, and Iran Alumina Company producing 22,388 tons of ingots.

Based on the IMIDRO data, during the period under review, 159,416 tons of alumina powder, 269,145 tons of aluminum hydrate, and 514,420 tons of bauxite were produced by Iran Alumina Company, indicating five percent, five percent and 41 percent growth, respectively, as compared to the figures of the previous year’s same period, which were 152,293 tons, 255,897 tons, and 364,127 tons.

Due to the unique properties of aluminum and the strategic nature of this metal in the world, its use in many industries, especially high-tech industries, has expanded day by day, and the global market's need for the consumption of this metal has increased significantly.

Considering the targeting of producing high quantities of this metal in the development plans of Iran and the construction of several aluminum ingot production factories, the importance of producing this strategic metal becomes clearer.

Aluminum industry, as one of the parent industries, plays a key role in the development of other industries in the country.

Supporting this industry means supporting downstream industries such as automobile manufacturing, construction and packaging.

Also, the development of the aluminum industry can help create employment and foreign currency for the country.

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

The history of aluminum in Iran is deeply intertwined with the country’s broader industrial and economic development.

Over the decades, Iran has taken significant steps to develop its aluminum industry, which has become an integral part of its industrial landscape. 

Iran produced more than 635,000 tons of aluminum ingots over the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19).

The country’s aluminum mills continued with their production over the past year and posted a slight one percent year-on-year increase despite the energy restrictions.

According to IMIDRO, the country’s aluminum production stood at around 632,000 tons a year earlier.

Iran Alumina Company produced some 222,138 tons of alumina powder, 374,106 tons of alumina hydrate, and 598,599 tons of bauxite in the one-year timespan.

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