Iran's First Private Petrochemical Unit

Mahshahr, Khuzestan, Dec. 2, 2006 --Iran’s first private petrochemical unit has been inaugurated in Mahshahr, Khuzestan.
According to ISNA, First Vice President Prof. Dr. Parviz Davoudi said at the opening ceremony of Rejal Petrochemical Unit that the petrochemical sector is proceeding in line with government’s policy to prioritize qualified production and high value-added.
Noting the important role of the petrochemical industry in Iran’s single-product economy, he added that further development of the sector was planned during the tenure of the previous governments.
Generating each job in the sector can create 10 or 15 more jobs in other industries, the vice president noted.
“Petrochemical production will reach 15 million tons this year and this figure is predicted to reach 22 million tons next year,“ he observed.
“According to plans, some eight petrochemical units are expected to become operational next year, during which 80,000-120,000 jobs will be created, of which 8,000 will pertain to the petrochemical sector.“
Oil minister in his part said that National Petrochemical Company of Iran aims to privatize its units.
Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh added that the Oil Ministry has put petrochemical sector development, more qualified production and converting raw petrochemicals to finished products on top of its agenda.