Iran has devised a number of petrochemical projects in its western regions to turn the area into the country's third petrochemical hub, Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said.
"Once new projects come online in the region, Iran's western territories will become the country's third petrochemical hub," said the official addressing the inaugural ceremony of Mahabad Petrochemical Plant in northwestern Iran.
"Given the region's proximity consumer markets in Iraq and Turkey, Iran's west will become an unparalleled region for development of downstream petrochemical industries," said Zangeneh last Tuesday.
Assalouyeh and Bandar Emam are currently regarded as Iran's top petrochemical regions.
Iran has envisaged plans to produce up to 1.5 million tons per year of petrochemicals from plants constructed in the western province including Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Ilam by the end of the 6th five-year development plan to 2021. All these projects are to be fed by West Ethylene Pipeline.
"Given the lack of petrochemical plants in eastern Turkey, Iraq's Kurdistan region and Iraq, Iran will be able to supply the regions with petrochemicals once the West Ethylene Pipeline project is fully operational," he said.
The senior Iranian energy official further added that Iran will launch 10 more petrochemical projects by the end of the current Iranian calendar year to March 20 2017 which will turn the country into a player in the petrochemical market.
The Iranian Ministry of Petroleum is considering formation of a petrochemical complex in the vicinity of Mahabad once West Ethylene Pipeline project is fully online in order to complete the value chain the region.