Azerbaijan, Baku Aug. 31 / Trend, N. Umid
Iranian Esfahan Steel Company's production has increased by 40 percent as a result of reconstruction of the blast furnace No 2 with a production capacity of 1,400,000 tons per year, Managing Director of Isfahan Steel Company Ardeshir Sa'd-Mohammadi said, Esfahansteel portal reported.
Iron production figure has reached 7,000 tons per day and it will increase to 8,000 tons per day in the coming days, he added.
He went on to note that the company plans to increase its production capacity by 3.2 million tons till the end of the Iranian calendar year of 1393 (March 21, 2015).
Early in July, Sa'd Mohammadi said that Iran's steel production will hit 30 million tons by the end of the Iranian calendar year of 1394 (March 21, 2016).
Tehran plans to increase its steel production up to 55 million tons by 2026, Sa'd Mohammadi said, Mehr News Agency reported.
Iran is reportedly the biggest steel producer in the Middle East and North Africa and the country's main steel mills are located in Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces.
Major raw steel producers of Iran are Mobarakeh Steel Mill, with approximately 47 percent of market share, Khuzestan Steel Company with about 23 percent of market share, the Isfahan Iron Smelting Complex with a market share of 20 percent, and Iran National Steel Industries Group with approximately 10 percent of market share.