The history of petrochemical industry in Iran began in 1963 when a small fertilizer plant was built in the outskirt of the town of Marvdasht in the province of Fars, close to the ruins of the civilization that the Achaemenians built in Persepolis over 2500 years ago. In 1964, NPC was founded to manage and spearhead the development of the petrochemical industry in Iran. Since then, NPC has been developing its position as a petrochemicals producer. And in December of 2004, the company celebrated its 40th year of existence by honoring those who helped make its progress happen. The ceremonies were held as the NPC's plans to build petrochemical plants and facilities are coming to fruition. They usher in the emergence of a new civilization, this time on the banks of the Persian Gulf home to many world-scale petrochemical plants which are being developed there. The event was also an opportunity to showcase the company's development activities. With its current expansion program, NPC is setting its sights on increasing both its non-oil exports and its share of the global petrochemical market. Today, NPC is the second largest producer and exporter of petrochemicals in the Middle East. Over these years, it has not only expanded the range and volume of its products, but it has also taken steps in areas such as research and technology to achieve more self-sufficiency. Two special economic zones, Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Bandar Imam and Pars Special Economic/Energy Zone in Assaluyeh on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf have been developed to be home to the NPC's new projects. These two zones enjoy good access to feedstock, infrastructural facilities, local and international markets and skilled manpower. The company's plans cover a host of different activities including implementation of grassroots projects of phases 1, 2 and 3 of its strategic development program and execution of expansion projects within its existing process facilities. They also encompass other activities like quality management system, manpower training, recreational projects, information technology, environment protection and marketing.



NPC's major new investment initiatives are grouped around two special areas of the country on the Persian Gulf coast: the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone, close to Bandar Imam and the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone further south in Assaluyeh. The ceremonies marking NPC's 40th anniversary were held from 27 December 2004 in four consecutive days in Mahshahr, Tehran, Assaluyeh and at the sites of its complexes. Each day was designated as a special theme day: Production and R&D Day, Customer-orientedness Day, Projects Day and finally Training, HSE and Security Day. Speaking in the ceremonies held in Mahshahr on December 27, Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran will turn into one of the major producers of petrochemical products in the world. Zanganeh hailed the petrochemicals industry in Iran as progressive, calling it the driving force behind major sections of the nation's industries as well as a focal point in the non-oil exports. He said Iran's petrochemical sector is no longer a mere producer of chemical fertilizers today; rather it produces a variety of petrochemical products with higher added value.


Also speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Petroleum Minister & NPC President, M. R. Nematzadeh said the company would improve its position among major petrochemical producers as its projects become operational. He said NPC had drawn up a 10-year prospective program which sought to achieve considerable growth in the output of petrochemicals. Based on the program, he said, Iran's petrochemical industry would generate $20bn in 2015. He expressed hope that by then NPC would rank among the world's 10 top petrochemical companies by producing 12m tonnes of ethylene, 10m tonnes of polymers, 8m tonnes of fertilizers, 7m tonnes of methanol and 4m tonnes of aromatics. Meanwhile, addressing a group of NPC officials on the occasion of the Customer-orientedness Day, Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari said the government has adopted a long-term plan to wean the country from dependence on a single-export economy in a bid to diversify its sources of revenue. He noted that the petrochemical industry played an important role in meeting the planned goal. Shariatmadari said NPC is a consumer oriented company. He called for the private sector's involvement in the downstream petrochemical industries to boost the export of final products.


NPC's Director of Projects Seyyed Hassan Sadat said the company would invest $17.5bn under its fourth five-year development plan (2005-2010) showing a considerable growth compared to the $12.5bn investment it made during its first three five-year plans to develop the nation's petrochemical sector. He said NPC has completed 17 of its projects and 8 others were at commissioning stages and would be operational shortly. Sadat said NPC planned to have an output of 25.6m tonnes output capacity by 2010.