Morteza Shahmirzai, the deputy petroleum minister and CEO of the
National Petrochemical Company, said on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in a meeting to
discuss strategies for developing international cooperation in the
petrochemical industry, which was attended by ambassadors and consuls general
of the Islamic Republic of Iran in various countries: "We have to
diversify our products and customers in the petrochemical industry with the
cooperation and interaction of the country's diplomatic apparatus and become
active in new markets."
He positively assessed the future and outlook of Iran's petrochemical
industry, and said: "With the cooperation of the country's diplomatic
apparatus, the implementation of policies for providing foreign financial
resources, supplying goods and equipment needed by the petrochemical industry
will be realized much faster and in this regard, the National Petrochemical
Company is ready for any kind of cooperation and interaction with the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and petrochemical holdings and companies."
He stated that one of the main goals and strategies of Iran's
petrochemical industry is to capture new export markets and destinations in
Africa, Eastern Europe and CIS countries, and said: "Now Iran's
petrochemical industry has a production capacity of more than 92 million tons per
year and is on the path of growth and development, of which about 70 percent of
its products are exported."
The CEO of the National Petrochemical Company said: "550 grades
of various petrochemical products are produced in petrochemical complexes and
last year $16 billion worth of various petrochemical products were exported, of
which $14 billion were offered in Nima system, which played a decisive role in
regulating the foreign exchange market."
He added: "About $90 billion has been invested in the country's
petrochemical industry and there are more than 100 development projects in
different parts of the country."
Shahmirzai continued: "The strategy of the National Petrochemical
Company is to complete the value chain of petrochemical products and 21
important projects have been introduced to petrochemical holdings to realize
the value chain."
He stated: "The 21 projects mentioned are national
self-sufficiency value chain projects, which are estimated to have a total
investment value of about $9 billion."
The NPC CEO continued: "Iran's petrochemical industry is rapidly
localizing its needs and now many of its needs are met through localization in
terms of technical knowhow, catalysts, goods and equipment, and we predict that
by the next five years we will be self-sufficient in supplying strategic goods
for the petrochemical industry."
Activating energy diplomacy and developing exports of Iranian Petchem products
He said: "We have to use all the capacities available in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our embassies in other countries to activate
energy diplomacy and develop exports of Iranian petrochemical products."
He stressed: "With the readiness of Iran's petrochemical industry
investment packages, we ask the country's diplomatic apparatus to facilitate
and expedite the entry of interested investors into Iran's petrochemical
industry."
He introduced Assaluyeh and Mahshahr hubs as the two main poles of
Iran's petrochemical industry, and said: "In addition to these two hubs,
energy-rich areas such as Parsian, Deir and Makran coasts are other areas where
development projects can host foreign investors. Meanwhile, Jask region's
infrastructure is also ready for investors to develop refineries."
The CEO of the National Petrochemical Company said: "We have to
move towards development and striving in the petrochemical industry and in this
regard, Iran's ambassadors in other countries can play a role model and
determinant role for developing this sustainable and lasting industry.”
It is worth mentioning that the meeting on reviewing strategies for
developing and promoting international interactions in the petrochemical
industry with the aim of developing energy diplomacy in order to expand Iran's
petrochemical export market, introducing capacities, facilities and
capabilities of Iran's petrochemical industry, as well as examining solutions
for facilitating exports was held with the presence of Iran's ambassadors in
Brazil, India, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Serbia and consuls general in Guangzhou
China and Aktau Kazakhstan.