President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Thursday inaugurated the world’s largest methanol producing plant in the country’s southern province of Bushehr through a ceremony held via videoconference, according to a news report by Tasnim News Agency.
President Rouhani simultaneously ordered the opening of two energy projects in Bushehr and one in the western province of Lorestan during the virtual ceremony.
The two projects in Bushehr, completed with an investment of $1.57 billion by the private sector, include Kaveh Methanol plant, known as the biggest methanol producing facility in the world, and Middle East Kimia Pars petrochemical complex, while the project in Lorestan province is Lorestan Catalyst petrochemical complex.
The Bushehr’s projects can annually produce about 4 million tons of methanol.
The Kaveh plant is located in a 220-hectare area near the North Pars gas field in western coasts of provincial city of Dayer.
It has the capacity to produce 7,000 tons of methanol per day.
Lorestan Petrochemical Catalyst Production Unit has an annual production capacity of 100 tons of catalysts required to produce polyethylene.
The three projects in Bushehr and Lorestan provide direct employment for 2,110 people.
In his remarks at the inaugural ceremony, President Rouhani said his administration has devised plans to reduce the export of crude oil and natural gas, and intends to produce more petrochemical products instead.
He added that it is really pleasing that Iran has been able to open three economically-important projects that will help the country’s non-oil revenue, self-sufficiency, and employment.
According to Managing Director of National Petrochemical Company of Iran Behzad Mohammadi, in total, 27 petrochemical projects planned to be inaugurated during the next two years, out of which 17 plants will start operations till the end of the current Iranian year.