Shimibaft Ensures Iran MEK Self-Sufficiency

Shimibaft Ensures Iran MEK Self-Sufficiency
(Saturday, August 10, 2019) 16:29

TEHRAN (NIPNA) – The CEO of Shimibaft Petrochemical Plant said the plant had made the country self-sufficient in production of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).

Speaking on Saturday, Mohsen Shams told reporters that the company had improved its presence on international markets by adding two more customers to its traditional buyers, and said that the company had made Iran needless of importing MEK, also called butanone.

MEK is an organic compound with the formula CH3C(O)CH2CH3. This colorless liquid ketone has a sharp, sweet odor reminiscent of butterscotch and acetone. It is produced industrially on a large scale, and also occurs in trace amounts in nature. It is soluble in water and is commonly used as an industrial solvent.

The company’s output has grown by 7% in the first quarter of the current calendar year, which began on March 21, compared to the same period last year, he said.

“Last year, the total production of the company grew by 113% year-on-year,” the official said.

The company also generated 18 million dollars by exporting its products last calendar year, Shams added.

Currently, the company sells 37% of its MEK output on the domestic market.

According to Shams, in the first quarter of the current year, the company has exported 10,000 tons of items valued at $6 million.

The net profits of the company rose by 283% in the previous calendar year compared to the preceding year, he said. Furthermore, the company’s profits in Q1 rose by 234% year-on-year.

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