Speaking to NIPNA, Mohsen Bahmani, a senior researcher with the group, said the project took over a decade for PRTC to produce and was offered in various stages of laboratory, batch, mini-pilot and pilot.

Currently, a semi-industrial pilot plant with a production capacity of 600 kilograms per day has been constructed in the western city of Arak, he added, saying the catalyst has been marketed domestically and is undergoing quality tests for export on European markets.

He said the catalyst's formulation had been registered in two foreign patents and had been published in EPO and PCT.

"In the future, due to the release of these patents, methanol synthesis catalyst will be marketable under the brand name of the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company in the world.

Bahmani further added that 200 to 300 tons per year of the items is demanded domestically, which means the plant's capacity must increase dramatically before shipments are available for export.