Page 53 - IRANRptAug21

Iran moves into world’s top 10 steel producers ranking
Iran to auction off mines in Tehran province
produced in the time span.
Used as raw materials in copper smelting, copper concentrates have a copper content of about 30% by weight. The remainder consists mostly of sulfur and iron. Copper concentrates are made mostly from sulfide ores.
Iran is now among the top 10 steel producers in the world, according to the World Steel Association (WSA), Mehr News Agency reported.
WSA data showed Iran produced 2.3mn tonnes of steel in February, up 11.5% y/y. That gave it 10th place in the ranking. Also, the country’s steel output was 5mn tonnes in January-February, marking a 10.8% y/y expansion.
China ranked first for steel production in February with 83mn tonnes. India and and Japan were second and third, with 9.1mn tonnes and 7.5mn tonnes, respectively.
Steel production in European Union countries hit 11.9mn tonnes in February 2021.
To export to the EU, Iran must often negotiate claims from European steelmakers of dumping.
Iranian Deputy Minister of Mining, Trade and Industries Ali Abdi has said the state is planning to sell mines in Tehran province using auctions, IRNA reported on May 11.
Most of the 45 mines in Tehran province would be put up for auction, according to the official.
Some 5,666 mines across Iran are currently in operation extracting minerals and metals.
Parties interested in participating in the auctions are asked to record their interest on the website the.mimt.gov.ir. The cut-off date for applications is in June.
Fifteen mines in Qom province, which neighbours Tehran province, are also expected to be up for grabs in the near future.
That province is known for its extraction of marble and other sought after stone types for building and construction.
9.1.12 Renewable energy sector news
Iran says sanctions could bring its nuclear plant to a halt
Iran has said that its sole nuclear power plant, Bushehr, could stop operating this year because sanctions are hindering the country attempts to keep the unit running.
Bushehr is “facing the risk of shutdown” because US banking restrictions have made it difficult for the Islamic Republic to transfer money and procure necessary equipment, Mahmoud Jafari, a deputy at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency.
“Currency fluctuations and problems related to banking sanctions have complicated efforts to meet the reactor’s operational and maintenance costs and make payments to Russian contractors,” Jafari reportedly said.
Bushehr was developed by Russia. Operational since 2011, it is one of the oldest civilian nuclear power plants in the Middle East.
Most of Iran’s electricity, however, is produced from natural gas. Iran has the second biggest gas reserves in the world.
Russia has agreed to build two more 1-gigawatt nuclear reactors on the site of the existing reactor. The signed deal for the reactors is worth around $10bn, Tehran has said.
53 IRAN Country Report August 2021 www.intellinews.com