TEHRAN (PIN) – Zagros Petrochemical Complex earned 300 million dollars through its exports since the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2007).

Mehdi Hamidi, the complex managing director, said the plant was set up in 2000 within the framework of the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan, aiming to produce 1.65 million tons of methanol per annum.
Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) awarded the engineering and supply contract for its Methanol No. 4 project to Germany’s Lurgi Oel.Gas.Chemie GmbH and Iran’s Petrochemical Industries Design and Engineering Company (PIDEC) in 2000, according to the NPC News Bulletin.
The contract covers the provision of license, basic engineering, supply of equipment, and technical assistance for the plant. Lurgi use its state-of-the art technology, gas cooled methanol reactor for the project.
The plant is located at Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ), commonly known as Assaluyeh, on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf.
PIDEC, Lurgi’s partner to the project, provided the detailed engineering and the equipment that are manufactured in Iran.
Zagros Petrochemical Company (ZPC), an NPC subsidiary, implemented and operated the project.
“Based on statistics, the world’s annual methanol output stand at 50 million tons,” said Hamidi, adding Iran accounted for 5.3 percent of global methanol production with a 1,750 ton output per year.
He added Methanol No. 4 project would help Iran increase its output to 5.05 million tons annually, 10.1 percent of the world’s production.
Zagros Petrochemical Complex chief said 325 million dollars had been invested for the construction of the complex.
He added petrochemical projects of the complex were implemented in a parcel of land with a 30 ha area, of which 15 ha was allotted to the first phase of Methanol No. 4 project.
Hamidi said the second phase of methanol development plan with a 1.65 million ton production capacity was underway in a 15 ha land.
Iran exported 6.48 million tons of petrochemical products from March 21 to Dec. 21, 2007.
The exports fetched the country 3.84 billion dollars.
Liquefied gas had the lion’s share in exports, weighing 1.787 million tons.
The total value of export-bound petrochemical products is predicted to reach five billion dollars by next March.
Assaluyeh exported 3.058 million tons of petrochemical products to the world markets in the nine month period.
According to the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), the products were exported by the Petrochemical Reserves and Terminals Company via the specialized port.
Zagros, Nuri, and Pars petrochemical complexes ranked first to third, exporting of 802, 624, and 473 thousand tons respectively.
The NPC added the products were shipped to the Asian and European states by 179 vessels.
Zagros, Nuri, Ghadir, and Pars petrochemical complexes have become operational in the first phase of Assaluyeh.