BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. Iran's bauxite reserves increased by 33 million tons to 40 million tons, as a result of discoveries made in the country during the past several years (March 21, 2016 through March 20, 2022), Executive Director of Iran Alumina Company Touraj Zare said, Trend reports referring to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO).
Until 2016, Iran's bauxite reserves amounted to about 7 million tons, the director said.
According to Zare, Iran Alumina Company bought two more drilling rigs over the last Iranian year (March 21, 2021 through March 20, 2022), for expansion of bauxite discoveries.
“At present, discovery operations are carried out in five mines in Iran’s North Khorasan, Kerman, Yazd, Semnan and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces,” he added.
The director also pointed out that Iran Alumina Company consumes about 900,000 tons of bauxite per year. In order to meet the company's bauxite demand, the construction of the bauxite grading unit at a cost of 15 trillion rials (about $357 million) was started last year. The mentioned unit is expected to be put into use in the current Iranian year (March 21, 2022 through March 20, 2023).
Zare stressed that Iran Alumina Company plans to produce about 500,000-550,000 tons of aluminum this year. Giver the country's current aluminum needs, about 40 percent of the aluminum produced can be exported.
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