Iran's export of petrochemical products crossed 6.7 million metric tons in the first 48 days of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 20.
Director of production control at National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said Iran exported 18.1 mmt of petrochemicals over the course of the past Iranian calendar year in 1,176 shipments.
Ali Mohammad Bossaqzadeh told a gathering of senior petrochemical officials and executives in the southern province of Fars that Iranian petrochemical plants processed 46.4 tons of products (80% of their nameplate capacity) during the previous Iranian year.
He said the output has more than doubled from a year earlier.
Last year, 14.95 mmt of products, down 10% year-on-year, was sold on the domestic market and 18.1 mmt (up 23% on-year) was exported, the official said.
Production of ethylene, ammonia, urea, methanol, polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and heavy-density polyethylene was respectively at 77%, 82%, 92%, 99%, 94%, 99%, and 91% of the nameplate capacity of producing plants, Bossaqzadeh said.
He also predicted that Iran's petrochemical output will cross 54.7 mmt in the current Iranian calendar year given inauguration of a number of petrochemical plants during the year.