Hassan Abbaszadeh said the informed and strategic selection of value
chains was critical to boosting value creation in petrochemicals, adding that
private sector participation had a stronger catalytic effect than state or
quasi-state entities.
Speaking at an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Kimyagaran
Group, Abbaszadeh said that while value-chain development had featured in
policy documents for years, recent efforts had become more focused, operational
and results-oriented.
He pointed to pharmaceutical value chains as among the most lucrative
in the sector, noting that converting basic petrochemical products into
medicines and health-related goods generated the highest added value and social
impact.
Abbaszadeh said the Kimyagaran Group had successfully established such
a chain and was now entering a more active phase of petrochemical investment,
with multiple projects expected to come on stream in stages.
“Our greatest achievement is turning a basic product such as methanol
into medicines that reach people through pharmacies,” he said, describing this
as the ideal model for petrochemical development based on high value-added
final products.
He added that the approach went beyond profit-making, prioritising national
value creation and ensuring production continued even under difficult economic
conditions.
Abbaszadeh said domestic production had replaced a significant share
of previously imported medicines, a development he described as particularly
important amid restrictions and challenges facing pharmaceutical imports. He
added that some private producers were now also targeting export markets.
The NPC chief highlighted two key factors behind successful private
sector participation: the intelligent selection of value chains and development
driven by genuine private capital rather than state-linked holdings or pension
funds.
“Experience shows that wherever the real private sector enters,
projects advance faster and with higher efficiency,” he said.
Abbaszadeh said private investors often adopted more flexible
development models, either starting from downstream products such as medicines
and moving upstream, or gradually expanding along the chain — an approach that
reduced idle capital and generated quicker, more stable revenues.
He also said private sector projects typically cost far less than
comparable state-run developments, citing cases where similar facilities built
by public entities cost more than double those executed by private investors.
Abbaszadeh praised what he described as the private sector’s alignment
with state policies, including cooperation during periods of crisis, and said
privately owned petrochemical companies had shown high levels of transparency,
including in the repatriation of export revenues.
He called on state institutions to reduce bureaucracy, provide clear
timelines for permits and feedstock supply, and ensure fair access to
opportunities, saying these were prerequisites for attracting private
investment.
“We must clearly map out the future of projects for private
investors,” Abbaszadeh said, adding that the NPC would continue efforts to act
as a facilitator to open new horizons for Iran’s petrochemical industry.