Iran produced roughly 65 million tons of petrochemical products over the past calendar year to March 21 which brought the country as much as $26 billion in revenues both from the domestic and foreign markets, according to Deputy Petroleum Minister Morteza Shahmirzaei.
The official said that the country has set a target for producing 80 million tons of petrochemical products in the current calendar year.
Noting that the petrochemical industry is the number one industry of the country, Shahmirzaei said that oil and gas reserves provide a long-term support for this industry.
He stressed that all the progress in petrochemical industry has been reached despite the tough sanctions on the country.
“Now, in the construction of petrochemical complexes, we rely 75-80% on domestic capabilities ... To achieve complete self-sufficiency, we follow a coherent program in cooperation with science production centers,” the official said.
Iran exported some 27 million tons of petrochemical products to target countries over the past year, Shahmirzaei said, adding that the country earned some $16 billion in export revenues in the time span.