TEHRAN (Iran News) Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Hassan Abbaszadeh highlighted the unprecedented role of the media in covering major industry events, saying that media cooperation with petrochemical stakeholders has contributed to the successful implementation of strategies and reduced threats against the sector.

Abbaszadeh emphasized the importance of port infrastructure for the industry, pointing to new jetties, stronger transmission lines, and expanded loading and unloading capacity as key measures taken to support growth.

He noted that 15 petrochemical projects, four feedstock supply projects, three utility projects, and several other initiatives are scheduled for operation this year. So far, six projects have been inaugurated and entered production. The first phase of a flare gas recovery project was also launched in Khuzestan, returning 2.7 million cubic meters of gas per day to the feedstock network. Total investment in these projects amounts to 310 trillion rials ($6 billion).

The projects coming online this year will add a total of 9.8 million tons to production capacity.

Addressing regulatory issues, Abbaszadeh said a long-standing dispute over side-pricing formulas that had caused trading suspensions for many companies has now been resolved by a ruling of the Administrative Justice Court.”Petrochemical Products”

However, he identified feedstock supply as the industry’s most critical challenge. “Almost all existing capacity is being used, but many units remain idle due to feedstock shortages,” he said, adding that the solution lies in petrochemical companies investing in upstream projects and flare gas recovery. He stressed that large-scale flare gas recovery efforts aim to end routine flaring in targeted regions by next year.”Petrochemical Products”

The NPC head underlined Iran’s growing focus on African markets, where country-specific studies have been carried out to identify opportunities. This strategy follows Iran’s successful entry into the Indian market and aims to expand the customer base in non-state markets.”Petrochemical Products”

A smart monitoring project in cooperation with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology is also underway to install advanced sensors and optimize production processes.

On energy efficiency, Abbaszadeh reported that 12 optimization projects were implemented last year in households, greenhouses, and poultry farms, replacing equipment for 40,000 consumers. This ensured uninterrupted production during peak consumption. Similar initiatives are planned for this year.

In energy generation, small-scale power plants and wind farms are under construction, including a major wind project in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Efforts to boost financing include the release of idle gas allocations, the issuance of €210 million in bonds with Bank Mellat, and new bond offerings for five projects. Abbaszadeh acknowledged that attracting investment remains a major challenge.

Environmental initiatives include coastal afforestation projects to absorb pollutants and prevent erosion. A crisis management protocol has also been developed to guide companies under different alert levels.

Abbaszadeh said NPC’s development strategy is built around three pillars: completing semi-finished projects, expanding domestic and international markets, and securing sustainable feedstock supply.

He also warned that a United Nations treaty currently under negotiation could impose new restrictions on plastics production, with major implications for Iran’s downstream petrochemical sector. NPC and the Department of Environment will hold a one-day conference this Saturday to brief industry stakeholders on the issue.

Looking ahead, Abbaszadeh announced that the 19th IranPlast Exhibition will open next Tuesday, serving as a key platform for interaction between polymer downstream industries and petrochemical producers.

This year, about 750 domestic and 67 foreign companies will participate, including direct exhibitors from China and India, and representatives from countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Turkey. Around 200 registered trade delegates are expected to attend B2B meetings.

He noted that despite travel advisories issued by some countries affecting participation, IranPlast will still provide a valuable opportunity to showcase industry capabilities and international cooperation.

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Speaking at a virtual event marking Chabahar Day at the Maritime India Summit organized by India’s shipping industry, Eslami said that the current implementation trend of the agreement between Iran, Afghanistan, and India is in good condition, adding that full completion of the Chabahar Agreement will accelerate the transportation and transit as well as trade, and it will be the ground for meeting the reciprocal interests of the signatory countries as well as the public welfare in the region.

He said that Chabahar can have competitive advantages for neighbors of Iran regarding transshipment of goods, noting that Chabahar Port by being connected to the rail network will become important in terms of development and it can easily connect neighboring countries like Afghanistan to Central Asia and to the free waters and oceans with the least cost.

He then pointed to the developmental operation at Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar and said India has the unique potential to take advantage of capacities at Chabahar, reiterating that the current capacity of Shahid Beheshti Port in its phase one is 8.5m tons and for its construction, more than $1b has been spent. He added that by improving the transportation and logistics infrastructure of the port, Chabahar can turn into a major hub for petrochemical productions.

Meanwhile, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar proposed the inclusion of Iran’s Chabahar Port in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and invited Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to join the multi-lateral corridor project.

Addressing the event, Jaishankar said, “INSTC is an important trade-corridor project, wherein India is partnering with 13 countries to establish the economic-corridor for the benefit of our peoples. We also welcome the interest of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to join the multi-lateral corridor project. Establishing an Eastern Corridor through Afghanistan will maximize its potential.”

“India has proposed the inclusion of Chabahar in the INSTC route. I am hopeful that during the INSTC Coordination Council Meeting, member-states will agree to the expansion of the INSTC route to include the Chabahar port and also agree on expanding the membership of this project,” he informed.

INSTC is a 7200-kilometer ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe, and Central Asia. The members of this INSTC project are India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Bulgaria (observer).

The move reflects India’s strong commitment to work together with all regional stakeholders to enhance connectivity in our region and to provide unhindered access to the sea, to land-locked Central Asian countries through Chabahar Port, said Jaishankar.

The Chabahar port, where an Indian state-run firm – India Ports Global Limited operates Shahid Beheshti Port, is the practical realization of this important initiative to enhance connectivity to Afghanistan and the Central Asian states.

“India has utilized Chabahar Port to ship 75,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan in September 2020. India also assisted Iran to fight the worst ever locust invasion in the last 25 years by supplying 25 MTs of Malathion in June 2020 through Chabahar port,” said Jaishankar.

“Chabahar Port has not only emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region but also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian assistance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Port is part of our shared commitment towards peace, stability, and prosperity of people of Afghanistan,” he added.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – As the Islamic Republic of Iran experiences the toughest ever oil sanctions, the export of petrochemical products from South Pars Gas Field indicated a 39 percent growth in the Iranian month of Aban (from Oct. 21 to Nov. 22).

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