Page 66 - IRANRptJul22

Iran’s May steel output drops 17.6%, Turkey’s production falls 1.4%
Iran’s aluminium industry posts 4% y/y rise in production of ingots in first two Persian months
production of high-purity copper and copper alloy products.
In early May, head of the Iran Copper Association, Bahram Shakouri, said the country plans to increase its copper cathode production to one million tons by the Persian calendar year of 1404 (starts March 21, 2025).
“Although less than 300,000 tonnes of copper cathodes are currently produced in the country, with the development of reserves and more exploration and extraction, the production of one million tonnes of the product is projected by 1404,” Shakouri told IRIB.
The total number of copper mines in the Islamic Republic is 225, with 148 of them active. The mines have a production capacity of 100mn tonnes per year, according to official estimates.
World crude steel production fell 3.5% y/y in May with joint seventh largest producer Turkey recording a 1.4% y/y decline (3.3mn tonnes, equal with Germany) and 10th largest producer Iran experiencing a sharp 17.6% y/y drop (2.3mn tonnes), according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel).
There is anecdotal evidence on the market that Iran is concerned it is losing market share to discounted Russian steel sales, with Russia pushing hard for business to counter impacts of sanctions in some market geographies. Largest steel producer China recorded a 3.5% y/y reduction in its May output (96.6mn tonnes). Second-placed India saw production rise 17.3% y/y (10.6mn tonnes).
Sixty four countries are assessed for worldsteel's rankings.
Iran’s aluminium industry registered a 4% y/y rise in production of ingots to 89,718 tonnes during the first two months of the Persian calendar year (March 21-May 21), according to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization.
Iran Aluminum Company accounted for 31,330 tonnes, Almahdi Aluminum Company for 27,238 tonnes, South Aluminum Company for 24,917 tonnes and Iran Alumina Company for 6,233 tonnes.
Latest data also showed that 42,406 tonnesof alumina powder were produced by Iran Alumina Company in the two-month period. The company is the sole producer of alumina powder in Iran. The figure was up 11% y/y.
Iran Alumina Company was also listed as having produced 38,000 tonnes of bauxite (raw material for the production of alumina powder) during the assessed period.
9.1.13 Renewable energy sector news
Tavanir official gives progress update on Iran’s construction of nine thermal power plants
The construction of nine thermal power plants across Iran, begun in February, has reached the 60% progress threshold, according to the deputy managing director of the Iranian Electricity Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir), as cited by IRIB on May 31.
Iran desperately needs to build up its non-hydro electricity supplies. Persistent drought has affected the country's ability to produce energy from hydro-electric dams located around Tehran and elsewhere. The development of nuclear power in Iran has, meanwhile, not progressed as rapidly as was hope for in recent years.
"The power plants that are being built with industry investment will have a generating capacity of 5,300 megawatts," the Tavanir director, Seyed Zaman
66 IRAN Country Report July 2022 www.intellinews.com