BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17. The number of inactive mines resumed in Iran’s Hormozgan Province in the south of the country, increased by 48 percent, over the last Iranian year (March 21, 2022, through March 20, 2023), compared to the preceding year (March 21, 2021, through March 20, 2022), Chairman of Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of Hormozgan Province, Khalil Ghasemi told IRNA, Trend reports.
“In total, the activity of 33 mines in Hormozgan Province was resumed in the last Iranian year,” Ghasemi said.
According to him, a total of 635 billion rials (about $15.1 million) has been spent on resuming the activity of the mentioned mines. As a result, 484 people were provided with jobs.
The chairman also added that 19 million tons of minerals were extracted from mines in Hormozgan Province within the last Iranian year, which is 5 percent more than in the preceding year.
Ghasemi noted that last year, 74 million tons were added to the province’s mining reserves. Some 49 billion rials (about $1.17 million) have been spent on discovery operations.
“Meanwhile, Iran aimed to export industrial and mining products worth $1.69 billion from Hormozgan Province for the last year. According to 11-month statistics (March 21, 2022, through February 19, 2023), about $1.59 billion worth of industrial and mining products were exported from the province,” he pointed out.
There are currently 300 active mines operating in Iran's Hormozgan Province. The province's mines have 21 types of minerals.
Reportedly, Iran's annual steel production capacity is around 40 million tons. Iran plans to increase the figure to 55 million tons by 2025.
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