" Ten large-scale petrochemical projects will come onstream in 2003 making it a bonanza year for the Iranian petrochemical industry" so says petroleum minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.
Speaking to a group of petroleum ministry staff in a ceremony marking the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Zanganeh told the audience that "next year is the year of petrochemical industry; given the relative advantage in the industry and high-margin of value-added which it generates, a drastic change will emerge in the country's industry increasing Iran's GDP in petrochemical sector by 50 per cent."
Pointing to Petrochemical Special Economic Zone and Pars Special Economic/Energy Zone where a host of world-scale oil, gas and petrochemical projects are being built, Zanganeh referred to the zones as "the shining gems of the Iranian petroleum industry."
"If ninety years ago, drilling of the first oil well in Masjidsoleiman and the construction of the first refinery in Abadan gave rise to new civilization in these areas, today, a new civilization is emerging in the South Pars region. A region which was once least developed has today evolved as one of the country's most advanced regions in terms of industrial development."
He said, "In petrochemical sector, we persist in producing petrochemical products in order to avert selling raw material. We benefit from a very worthwhile advantage of having access to cheap raw material specially ethane which has high value-added."
He said many of the activities that are underway in the petrochemical sector will bear fruit in 2003 when various projects come onstream."