The country’s aluminum ingot output stood at 131,376 tons in the three-month period of the present year, while the figure was 101,202 tons in the same time span of the previous year, data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) showed.

As previously announced by IMIDRO, the production of aluminum ingot in Iran rose 61 percent during the previous Iranian calendar year 1399 (ended on March 20) compared to the figure for the preceding year.

The country’s aluminum ingot output stood at 446,800 tons in the previous year.

Iran’s major aluminum producers had managed to produce 278,318 tons of the product in the Iranian calendar year 1398.

The country’s aluminum ingot production in the Iranian calendar year 1398 had declined eight percent in comparison to the figure for its preceding year.

IMIDRO data show that among the country’s top producers, Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) had the best performance in the previous year producing 185,000 tons of aluminum ingots.

Aluminum ingot production in the country reached 41,000 tons in the last month of the previous year (February 19-March 20), registering a 38 percent rise compared to the 30,000 tons in the preceding year’s same period.

Annual production of the aluminum ingot in the country is planned to increase 63 percent by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2022).

Last year, during the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s biggest aluminum production complex (in the central Fars province), the former industry minister said the country’s aluminum production is expected to be doubled with that unit going operational.

The official put the value of the Iranian mining industry’s production at about $22 billion, saying that the country is relatively self-sufficient in minerals and a great deal is also exported every year.

He went on underlying the country’s capacities in the sector, saying that Iran is ranked 18th among the world’s top aluminum producers, and with this new plant going operational the country will climb four places to stand at 14th place.”

Iran plans to reach the annual production of 1.5 million tons of aluminum ingot by the Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 2025-March 2026).

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Amir Khorramishad, who is deputy head of IMIDRO for planning, said that after sanctions imposed on the country, about 19,000 parts and equipment in industries were made domestically, reported Mehr News Agency.

As sanctions were intensified, foreign exchange revenues in the country have declined simultaneously, he said, adding, “Despite sanctions imposed on the country, domestically-made parts and equipment have experienced an ascending trend.”

Production of steel products in Iran increased five percent during the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 20-July 21, 2020) compared to the same period last year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Industry.

As reported, 7.2 million tons of steel were produced during the four-month period, while the figure was 6.93 million tons in the first four months of the previous year.

Iranian steel producers produced 9.483 million tons of crude steel during March 20-July 21, 2020, which was nine percent more than 8.7 million tons of the product produced in the same period last year.

According to figures released by the World Steel Association (WSA) on July 23, Iranian steelmakers produced nearly 13.9 million tons of crude steel during the first half of 2020, marking a 10.2 percent rise compared to the figure for the same period of 2019, which was 12.6 million tons.

Iran produced 2.4 million tons of crude steel in June, showing a 5.3 percent increase compared to the figure for the same month of 2019, which was 2.3 million tons.

Iran produced 31.9 million tons of crude steel in 2019, according to the WSA figures released in January.

The country plans to increase its annual steel production capacity to 55 million tons by 2025, with exports expected to reach between 10 million tons and 15 million tons per year.

WSA is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. WSA members represent approximately 85 percent of the world’s steel producers, including over 150 steel producers, with nine of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.

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Based on the mentioned plan, IMIDRO was going to revive 150 idle small mines across the country in collaboration with the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry, IRNA reported on Monday.

Implementation of the mentioned program is going to create 3,000 job opportunities in the country.

According to an IMIDRO report, as of February 19, a total of 1,483 idle mines were identified, for 881 of which necessary actions and solutions have been determined.

Back in January, IMIDRO Head Khodadad Gharibpour, announced that 66 percent of the program for reviving 150 small mines in the present year was realized.

The official said that his organization revived 99 small mines in the country since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year up to January 11.

IMIDRO head mentioned this plan as one of the most significant plans of “Resistance Economy”, saying that his organization is strongly determined to carry out it.

The official has said reviving small mines stands among the top priorities of IMIDRO in the current Iranian calendar year.

He said based on an MOU signed two years ago, 500 small mines were planned to be revived throughout the country in a course of five years to create jobs for 25,000 people.

Based on the statistics released by Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade there are about 4,000 inactive mines in the country at present, the official said, adding they include nine percent of metals mines, 21 percent of decorative stones mines, 51 percent of constructional materials mines, and 15 percent of other minerals mines.

Holding 68 types of different minerals Iran stands at the 10th place in the world in terms of diversity of its mineral reserves.

The country has over 60 billion tons of untapped mineral deposits, of which 40 billion tons are proven reserves, placing Iran at the 15th place globally.

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According to the Public Relations Department of IMIDRO, once operational, the projects will play a leading role in development and growth of the country’s mining industry.

The projects include ‘Jonoob Aluminum’, the largest aluminum ingot production plant in Parsian Special Economic Zone, the inauguration of the first phase of Parsian Port, Ghaenat Direct Reduction (DR) factories in South Khorasan province and Baft in Kerman province along with Jajarm Aluminum Production Plant in North Khorasan province.

Jajarm Aluminum project, with an investment worth $131 million, will produce 40,000 tons of aluminum ingot in the first phase, generating 600 direct and 1,800 indirect jobs, according to IMIDRO.

IMIDRO had previously announced that projects worth nearly $3.5 billion will be put into operation by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

In late July, IMIDRO’s Deputy and Executive Advisor Abbas Naiemi said new projects going operational by yearend up to 50,000 new job opportunities will be created across the country.

Boosting production, creating jobs, providing infrastructure and making joint venture with the private sector are the main pivots of IMIDRO’s plans.

Given the policies of IMIDRO, planning for stable development of the chain of products, benefiting from the private sector’s capabilities, cooperation with the guilds and associations, reducing the risk of investment, and indigenization of technology will be taken into account once implementing the mentioned projects.

Meanwhile, Gharibpour has recently stressed that his organization has put completing semi-finished projects on its agenda.

The official also said in mid-June, that IMIDRO was planning to establish a consortium in order to accelerate exploration Iran projects in the mining sector.

He said, “The consortium is going to help us in areas like exploration and identification of new mines and minerals”.

According to the IMIDRO head, based on the mining potentials and research and academic capabilities of the country’s provinces, 10 mining regions have been defined in order to manage projects and also utilize the country’s academic potentials in this industry.

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The official noted that in the current situation when the country is subject to unjust sanctions, such investments over this short period of time is a remarkable sign that the private sector has a positive outlook for this sector.

Gharibpour also stated that with the aim of removing barriers from the way of IMIDRO’s key sectors such as exploration and infrastructure, the budget ceiling for such areas is removed.
“Unrestricted exploration budget means that we will fund as many exploration projects as there are,” he explained.

“In addition, the infrastructure budget has also quadrupled,” he added.

The IMIDRO head further said that in the face of tough economic conditions, production has not slowed down but it has also increased, adding that during the first three months of this Iranian calendar year (March 21-May 21), the production of steel products, sponge iron and steel ingot grew by 16 percent, 10 percent and five percent, respectively.

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IMIDRO also put the export of steel ingots at 1.425 million tons in the first quarter of current year, falling 23 percent from 1.854 million tons in the same time span of the past year.

In a press conference on June 8, Iranian deputy industry, mining and trade minister said the ministry has taken necessary measures to maintain the country’s metal exports despite U.S. sanctions.

“We have established a special working group in the ministry which is closely assessing the situation and making necessary arrangements to mitigate the impact of U.S. sanctions,” Jafar Sarqini told the Tehran Times in the press conference.

The official noted that it is expected for the exports from the country’s mining sector to, at least, reach the last year’s $8.5 billion by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2020).

Also, during a meeting with the members of Iran Steel Association on Sunday, Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani said the country has achieved a proper self-reliance in steel industry.

Steel industry is one of the industries in which some good investment has been made and today it has become a production advantage, the minister further underscored.

Iran’s annual steel production is planned to reach 45 million tons by the Iranian calendar year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022), according to Sarqini.

Referring to the sanctions, the official said, “All those who have imposed sanctions against Iran aim to destroy he country’s production capabilities; therefore, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade prefer that the steel producers focus first on production and in this due development projects with the physical progress of over 70 percent will also help achieve this target.”

On June 15, the official had announced that the country’s annual crude steel production is planned to reach 30 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year.

He put Iran’s crude steel production at 25 million tons in the past year.

Sarqini had also announced that Iran will inaugurate steel projects with the capacity of at least 10 million tons during the current Iranian calendar year.

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IMIDRO had previously announced that projects worth nearly $3.5 billion will be put into operation by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

On July 18, IMIDRO’s Deputy and Executive Advisor Abbas Naiemi said with these projects going operational up to 50,000 new job opportunities will be created across the country.

Boosting production, creating jobs, providing infrastructure and making joint venture with the private sector are the main pivots of IMIDRO’s plans.

Given the policies of IMIDRO, planning for stable development of the chain of products, taking the most benefits of the private sector’s capabilities, cooperation with the guilds and associations, reducing the risk of investment making, and indigenization of technology will be taken into account once implementing the mentioned projects.

Meanwhile, Gharibpour has recently stressed that his organization has accomplishing semi-finished projects as its top priority.

The official also said in mid-June that IMIDRO was planning to establish a consortium in order to accelerate exploration projects in the mining sector.

He said, “The consortium is going to help us in areas like exploration and identification of new mines and minerals”.

According to the IMIDRO head, based on the mining potentials and research and academic capabilities of the country’s provinces, 10 mining regions have been defined in order to manage projects and also utilize the country’s academic potentials in this industry.

Gharibpour noted that in the framework of the country’s Sixth National Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2021), efficiency, productivity and maximum utilization of the capacities of the country’s mining industry have been given great importance and so should be considered in every step from exploration up to the production processes.

“In all areas including human resources, this [efficiency] should be taken into account. For example, we are far behind in employee education in the coal sector. Many of the work-related accidents in this sector are due to the lack of education that is why efficiency and productivity is a priority in all the IMIDRO agreements,” he said.

In late May, Gharibpour had said that the country’s mining sector currently requires 18 billion euros of investment.

“The mining sector is one of the country’s most profitable areas for investment so that 30 percent of the profits in the capital market is pertained to the mining and mineral sector,” he said.

 Integrated policies to nullify sanctions

During the Monday meeting on this year’s projects, IMIDRO head also underlined the organizations’ integrated polices for nullifying the sanctions.

He said all subsidiaries of IMIDRO are moving in a coordinated path with their policies integrated toward removing the barriers in the way of implementing the projects.

Gharibpour further referred to the emphasis put by President Rouhani on implementation of the projects and said Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani has also ordered that these projects will be launched based on a monthly schedule by the yearend.

In an attempt to [as the U.S. president Trump put it] “choke off the country’s largest non-petroleum related sources of export revenue”, Washington imposed new sanctions on Iran’s metals and minerals sectors in early May.

In a press conference on June 8, deputy industry, mining and trade minister said the ministry has taken necessary measures to maintain the country’s metal exports despite U.S. sanctions.

“We have established a special working group in the ministry which is closely assessing the situation and making necessary arrangements to mitigate the impact of U.S. sanctions,” Jafar Sarqini told the Tehran Times in the press conference.

The official noted that it is expected for the exports from the country’s mining sector to, at least, reach the last year’s $8.5 billion by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

And on July 1, IMIDRO head said that the export markets of Iran’s minerals have been preserved despite the sanctions imposed by the U.S.

Making the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony to celebrate the National Day of Industry and Mine, the official said, “As compared with the other economic sectors the mining sector’s reliance on foreign sources is less, it could preserve its export markets despite all pressures from the sanctions.”

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