Hassan Abbaszadeh told the Petrofan 2025 conference that many Iranian
producers have become absorbed in day-to-day operational challenges, such as
feedstock supply and routine production, and have consequently fallen behind
global technological progress. He said a significant portion of the industry’s
technical licenses and process know-how dates back many years and requires
immediate upgrading.
He said Iran must revive and modernize the licenses it already owns,
adding that the Petrochemical Research and Technology Co. has been tasked with
prioritizing solutions to technological and process challenges across
complexes. “If we ignore the global wave of technological transformation, we
risk ending up in a losing position,” he said.
Abbaszadeh warned that new global environmental rules could impose
direct limits on polymer production, pointing to negotiations in Geneva on the
UN plastics pollution treaty. He said some polymers may face irreversible
restrictions, noting that PVC “has effectively reached the point of no return,”
while other materials remain under pressure. A shift from consensus-based to
voting-based decision-making, he added, could accelerate binding limits on
production, emissions costs and market access.
He said Iran is coordinating with the country’s environment agency to
defend its position in the negotiations and prevent premature commitments. “If
core polymers such as polystyrene or polyethylene move to the restricted list,
we must prepare for the impact now,” he said, warning that failure to do so
could lead to market disruption.
Abbaszadeh highlighted the emerging role of artificial intelligence,
saying the technology could support market forecasting, product-portfolio
planning and value-chain development, including identifying the most profitable
downstream pathways for methanol. While traditional studies take months, he
said AI tools can deliver insights far more rapidly.
On domestic manufacturing, Abbaszadeh said around 95% of fixed
equipment used in the sector is now sourced locally, though some specialized
items remain dependent on foreign licensors. He noted progress in rotating
equipment—pumps, compressors and process machinery—but said gaps persist in
critical categories that could become strategic priorities for localization.
Iran currently spends about $2 billion annually on imported equipment,
representing what he called a large and under-leveraged market for domestic
suppliers.
He criticized the lack of coordination among petrochemical firms,
saying fragmented procurement and weak collaboration in innovation, technology
and value creation result in lost opportunities. “Many of our companies still
think in isolation,” he said. “Without deeper synergy, we will continue to miss
major opportunities for added value.”