Tabriz Petrochemical Sales to Hit $4.3bn by Price Flotation

TEHRAN – Tabriz Petrochemical Complex’s domestic and overseas sales will soar to 4 trillion rials (4.3 billion dollars) when the price flotation plan takes effect.

The managing director complex made the statement on the 10 establishment anniversary of the complex.

Alireza Sadri added Tabriz complex produced 800 thousand tons of petrochemicals in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2006), the highest output of the complex in the past 10 years.

“Tabriz Petrochemical Complex is the first center in Iran that produces its products according to ISO 17025 Certificate standards,” said the official, adding the complex was producing and exporting eight products to 38 countries, with China and Turkey being the main exporters.

Tabriz Petrochemical Complex ranks third, standing third after Bandar Imam and Arak petrochemical complexes in terms of output capacity and value added.

According to the managing director, 90 percent of the complex’s feedstock is supplied by Tabrize Refinery and the remaining part by Arak and Bandar Imam petrochemical complexes.

“Tabriz Petrochemical Complex has been constructed in a land with a 400 thousand hectare area and its development plan will keep going as the development plan of Tabriz refinery is on the agenda,” he added.

There would be more options open to customers if the plan on relaxation of petrochemical products’ prices were put into practice, said an Amir Kabir Petrochemical Complex official.

Production manager Abdolali Houshmand told PIN all products of Amir Kabir Petrochemical Complex enjoyed international standards.

“The complex produces petrochemical products according to the defined standards,” said the expert, however adding the complex had the capacity to inject a great variety of petrochemicals if the market demanded.

Houshmand added the complex produced heavy polyethylene with different grades, light linear polyethylene, and butadiene.

According to him, Amir Kabir Petrochemical Complex’s annual output includes 140 thousand tons of heavy polyethylene, 300 thousand tons of light linear polyethylene, and 51 thousand tons of butadiene.

Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Managing Director Gholam-Hossein Nejabat said the plan on supply of petrochemical products in a free market would make the market transparent.

Nejabat told PIN that the total estimated profit the NPC would earn after the implementation of the plan would be around 5.69 trillion rials (61.8 million dollars).

He, however, added, “Instead the company will take on more commitments, including the payment of 25 percent tax and increase in the price of feedstock of complexes. Therefore, the plan will not raise the revenue of National Petrochemical Company.”

Nejabat said the number of petrochemical products sold at approved prices was limited and consequently those few products would be offered at the world rates when the plan was put into action.

Liberalization of petrochemical products has been discussed among lawmakers, officials, and experts for years. The good news is that the industry has slackened its prices.

According to a recent Majlis ratification, the government has been obliged to eliminate rationing of petrochemical products and their subsidized prices and also reduce prices.

Undoubtedly, fixed prices have had devastating impacts on petrochemical products that they have been chiefly blamed for the ongoing crisis in the polymer industry.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has also maintained that elimination of subsidies would be tantamount to creating more investment opportunities in this particular sector.

The fact is that only one-sixth of such subsidies went into the pocket of producers.

However, certain producers have warned that elimination of subsidies and limitations in supply with relaxed prices could ultimately increase prices of petrochemical products.

Under the 20-year Outlook Plan, Iran will hold 34 percent of the petrochemical market share in the Middle East and 6.2 percent of the world’s by the final year of the plan. However, the market share of Iran’s NPC is currently 12 percent of petrochemical production in the Middle East and 0.9 percent in the world.

Investment needed to achieve the objectives set for the sector will be around $50 billion. This means during every five-year development plan some $12.5 billion will have to be invested in the sector, i.e. the total amount will be $50 billion by end of the 20-year Outlook Plan.

Petrochemical market in Iran would be competitive and the products’ quality would improve if the plan on price relaxation took effect, said a Shiraz Petrochemical Complex official.

Talking to PIN, the production manager added the complex’s petrochemical products met international standards, arguing that the middlemen would disappear and the goods would be available for real producers if the approved plan were put into practice.

Kazemi referred to the establishment of IMS system in Shiraz Petrochemical Complex and added the complex had succeeded in receiving ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certificates and national productivity award and was planning to receive EFQM system certificate in the future.

 

News ID 105900

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