Baku, Azerbaijan, July 12
By Fatih Karimov - Trend: Iranian researchers have indigenized technology for producing 25 petrochemical catalysts, including a special catalyst, which is used in euro-4 gasoline.
The catalysts, which are used in petrochemical industries, have been so far produced just by a few European and U.S. companies, Iran's Shana news agency reported on July 12.
The researchers have announced readiness to produce catalysts for euro-5 gasoline and euro-6 gasoline, as well.
Abbas Kazemi, the managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, said that one of the catalysts had been exclusively produced by the US.
He added that Iran is now the second producer of the catalyst in the world.
He referred to the need for expanding regional markets, especially in Iraq, and supporting domestic producers after lifting of the sanctions.
Iran's annual petrochemical production is expected to hit 50 million metric tons for the current Iranian fiscal year (by March 2016).
The index as of the last year increased by 10 percent compared to the preceding year, increasing from 40.5 million metric tons to 44.5 million.
Ahmad Mahdavi Abhari, secretary of the Association of Petrochemical Industry Corporations, said in April that the country's petrochemical sector is capable of attracting $70 billion in domestic and foreign investment.
He added that Iran's petrochemical companies are in a very good shape in terms of export and sale of petrochemical products.