Iran's PRTC Localizes 10 Petchem Catalysts in 2020

The CEO of the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (PRTC) said his company had so far produced 10 petrochemical catalysts or had presented their production technology in the current calendar year, which began on March 20.

Addressing a ceremony held on the occasion of the Research Week, Ali Pajouhan said by the end of the year, “important and strategic catalysts in the petrochemical industry will be completely localized."

He said development of technical knowhow for production of petrochemical items, development of technical savvy of petrochemical catalysts, development of strategic chemical savvy and solving the problems of the units are some of the major goals of his company.

The official mentioned the numerous downstream workshops, 10 laboratories, 25 pilot machines, more than 50 set-ups and bench machines in three centers of Tehran, Arak and Mahshahr as some of the infrastructures of PRTC, adding: "Demoplants are among the unique equipment of this company of which the most important are HDPE, PET, MTP and PP demoplants.”

The CEO of the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company pointed to the registration of 250 patent by PRTC, noting: “The most important patent that has been registered recently is the PVM patent or MTP, which has been registered in the European Union.”

"Petrochemicals are the largest consumer of catalysts," he said, noting that the world's annual catalyst consumption is about US$21.5 billion, of which US$16 billion is consumed in the petrochemical industry.

Of the approximately US$400 million in catalyst consumption in Iran, US$270 million is the share of the petrochemical industry, he said. He pointed to 40 major catalysts in the petrochemical industry, of which 10 are polymer and the rest are non-polymeric. "Currently, 17 catalysts are fully localized and used in the industry, and by the end of the calendar year of 1400, another 16 are planned to be localized," he said.

“The other 13 categories are used in small quantities that are being researched and developed and have numerous manufacturers and are easy to access and in some cases have non-economic production,” Pajouhan added. The CEO of the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company emphasized: “By the end of next year, important and strategic catalysts in the petrochemical industry will be completely localized.” - Shana