Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iran prefers importing modern petrochemical technologies to exporting petrochemical products to Europe and the US, said Ali Mohammad Bassaqzadeh, production manager at the National Iranian Petrochemical Company.
"What is more important for us is the use of modern technologies in the petrochemical industry rather than exporting products to Europe and the US," Iran's IRNA news agency quoted Bassaqzadeh as saying on July 25.
"In fact, the country's petrochemical complexes can be rapidly built and launched benefiting from modern technologies," the official said referring to the status of European and U.S. companies in Iran's petrochemical industry after lifting of sanctions.
"Before the imposition of sanctions, the U.S. market accounted for 7 percent of Iran's petrochemical exports. We can revive the market once sanctions are lifted. However, it will be hardly possible considering new competition situations, as well as transportation costs."
European companies have been recently negotiating with Iranian partners in the wake of nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries - the US, the UK, Germany, France, China, and Russia -over Tehran's nuclear program.
Some German and Dutch companies have provided licenses for Iranian petrochemical units.
Bassaqzadeh said on July 19 that a renowned Austrian company has announced readiness to invest in Iran's petrochemical industry.
The Austrian company has voiced interest to provide Iran with modern technologies in this industry, he added.
Earlier this month, Abbas Sherimoqaddam, managing director of the National Iranian Petrochemical Company, said the country's petrochemical sector is ready to attract more foreign investments after Iran reached the conclusion of its nuclear talks with the P5+1 group of the world powers.
Ahmad Mahdavi, secretary of the association of Iranian petrochemical industries union, said on July 13 that Iran has prepared a special plan to export petrochemical products to North America, and even to the US, once sanctions against the Islamic Republic are lifted.