Iran's NPC targets start-up for new PET projects in 2005-06

14 December 2004 03:14  [Source: ICIS news]

TEHRAN (CNI)--Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) is aiming to start up its two polyethylene terephthalate (PET) projects in the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone, Mahshahr, in 2005-2006, a source close to the project told CNI on Tuesday.

Shahid Tondgouyan Petrochemical Co, a subsidiary of NPC, owns and operates both PET plants. The first plant will have the capacity to produce 177 000 tonne/year of PET bottle grade resin and 235 000 tonne/year of PET fibre chips by the first quarter of 2005. The plant's technology is licensed by Zimmer of Germany and Buhler in Switzerland.

The second PET project at the same site can produce 132 000 tonne/year of PET bottle grade resin and 132 000 tonne/year of PET fibre chips, with the operational date set in the first quarter of 2006. The technologies used in the second plant are licensed by Italy's Noyvallesina and Buhler of Switzerland.

The second plant will supply PET resins to the company's 66 000 tonne/year partially oriented yarn (POY) and 66 000 tonne/year polyester staple fibre (PSF) plants.

"If everything goes according to plan, we target total production of about 180 000 tonne/year of bottle grade PET resin in 2005," said M Dorry, product manager at Iran Petrochemical Commercial Co (IPCC).

"Local consumption will absorb 40 000-60 000 tonne/year of production and the remaining output will be exported mainly to Europe," added Dorry. "China would be our main export market for PET fibre chips."

Purified terephthalate acid (PTA) feedstock for both PET plants is supplied by Shahid Tondgouyan Petrochemical Co's two 350 000 tonne/year plants at Mahshahr.

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