Tehran, Iran, February 14
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
In 2016, Iran came out as the world’s biggest producer of direct reduced iron (DRI or sponge iron) with an output of 14.5 million tons, equal to
25.3 percent of the world output.
The announcement was made by Mehdi Karbasian, chairman of board of directors at the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and
Renovation Organization, known as IMIDRO, IRIB news agency reported February 14.
Iran has plans to produce 55 million tons of steel per year by 2025, the official said, adding that the country would need $30 billion worth of
investment to attain that goal.
Karbasian explained that part of the investment should go into improving raw steel output from 27 to 50 million tons, DRI from 25 to 58 million
tons, pellets from 23 to 55 million tons, and concentrate from 43 to 86 million tons per year.
“As of next year (March 2017 to March 2018), we will attain 32 million tons of raw steel output, 35 million tons of DRI, 42 million tons of
pellets, and 50 million tons of concentrate,” he said.
According to Karbasian, Iran’s steel output in the past Iranian calendar year (which ended March 19) comprised 61.6 percent of the Middle East’s,
showing a 1.8 percent increase year on year.
He said that during the said time, Iran exported 4 million tons of steel. He added that in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year,
the country exported 4.4 million tons of steel.
The official said this year’s ten-month steel export showed a rise of 45 percent compared to the same period last year. He added that by the end
of the current Iranian year (March 20), Iran should have exported 6 million tons of steel.
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