Tehran, Iran, September 18
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
Iran is going to open a semi-industrial production line for petroleum coke, the first of its kind in the country.
The production line will come on stream on September 22, Fars news agency reported September 18.
Petroleum coke (often abbreviated pet coke or petcoke) is a carbonaceous solid delivered from oil refinery coker units or other cracking processes. Coke is a fuel with few impurities and a high carbon content. Coke is used in preparation of producer gas which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and nitrogen. Producer gas is produced by passing air over red hot coke. Coke is also used to manufacture water gas.
Mansour Bazmi, an official with the Oil Industry Research Center of Iran, said the product is much needed because it has uses in the aluminum and steel industries, which are growing fast.
Iran currently imports the entire coke that it needs to use in different industries.
Bazmi said with regard to major aluminum factories to be launched in near future, it is predicted that Iran will need up to 500 thousand metric tons of anode coke per year.
He added there are eight similar projects, the first three of which are accomplished and the rest will be over by May.
The first fully-industrial coker unit in Iran is also going to be made in the near future, he said.