IMIDRO Reviews Iran's Q1 Steel Production Chain Output

According to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization’s latest report, Golgohar Mining and Industrial Complex accounted for 4.23 million tons of the total output (down 3% YOY), followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Complex with 2.62 million tons (up 20% YOY), Middle East Mines and Mining Industries Development Holding Company with 1.39 million tons (down 6% YOY), Iran Central Iron Ore Company with 1.24 million tons (down 9% YOY), Goharzamin Iron Ore Company with 1.14 million tons (up 4% YOY), Opal Parsian Sangan with 754,635 tons (up 14% YOY), National Industrial and Mining Development Company with 509,065 tons (up 97% YOY), Sabanour Mining and Industrial Development Company with 172,935 tons (down 38% YOY) and Jalalabad Iron Ore Complex with 123,248 tons (down 27% YOY).

Iron ore concentrate output during the third fiscal month ending June 21 amounted to 4.12 million tons to register a 12% growth compared with last year’s same month.

Pellet output hit 10.99 million tons during the three months, down 1% YOY. Golgohar was the largest producer with 3.12 million tons (down 3% YOY), followed by Mobarakeh Steel Company with 1.9 million tons (down 6% YOY), Khouzestan Steel Company with 1.61 million (down 7% YOY), MIDHCO with 1.6 million tons (up 26% YOY), Chadormalu with 1.01 million tons (down 4% YOY), Opal Parsian Sangan with 933,657 tons (down 8% YOY), Sangan Mineral and Industrial Company with 464,024 tons (down 14% YOY), Khorasan Steel Company with 227,628 tons (up 50% YOY) and Sabanour Mining and Industrial Development Company with 103,121 tons (up 102% YOY), Financial Tribune reported.

Pellet production witnessed a year-on-year 1% increase during the third month to 3.75 million tons.

The production of direct-reduced iron stood at 7.1 million tons during the three-month period, up 13% YOY. Mobarakeh accounted for the largest share of the output with 2 million tons (up 10% YOY), followed by KSC with 1.08 million tons (up 18% YOY), Golgohar with 729,466 tons, Hormozgan Steel Company with 406,701 tons (down 10% YOY), South Kaveh Steel Company with 374,776 tons (up 15% YOY), Khorasan Steel Company with 366,207 million tons (up 4% YOY), Chadormalu Steel Company with 345,358 tons, Saba Steel Complex with 324,144 tons (up 3% YOY) and MIDHCO with 201,110 tons (down 12% YOY).

Other major DRI producers included Sefiddasht Steel Company with 199,960 tons (up 23% YOY), Arfa Steel Company with 191,996 tons (down 14% YOY), Ghadir Iron and Steel Company with 182,122 tons (down 13% YOY), Sabzevar Steel Company with 177,669 tons (down 7% YOY), Neyriz Steel Complex with 174,669 tons (remaining unchanged YOY), Shadegan Steel Complex with 122,939 tons (down 33% YOY), Mianeh Steel Complex with 99,716 tons (down 47% YOY), Saba Steel with 82,650 tons and Esfahan Steel Company with 32,676 tons (down 28% YOY).

DRI production reached 2.25 million tons during the month ending June 21, indicating a 14% growth YOY.

Iran was the second biggest producer in the world, after India, with 9.3 million tons of DRI production during the four months of 2019 to register a 17.7% year-on-year growth, according to World Steel Association.

India, Iran's primary rival in DRI output, increased its four-month production by 2.1% YOY to 11.03 million tons.

Iran produced a total of 25.54 million tons of DRI in 2018, up 31.6% YOY, and ranked as the second global DRI producer during the year after India with 30.36 million tons.

Downstream Output

From the above raw materials, a total of 5.21 million tons of ingot, bloom and billet were produced during the three-month period, up 3% YOY. 

Mobarakeh Steel Company, with its subsidiaries Saba and Hormozgan Steel, was the biggest producer with 2.37 million tons (down 4% YOY). 

KSC came next with 980,121 tons (unchanged YOY), followed by ESCO with 631,543 tons (up 9% YOY), South Kaveh Steel Company with 295,245 tons (up 16% YOY), Khorasan Steel Company with 276,860 tons (unchanged YOY), Chadormalu Steel Company with 262,043 tons (up 27% YOY), Arfa Iron and Steel Company with 223,544 tons (up 13% YOY), Iran Alloy Steel Company with 125,779 tons (up 39% YOY) and Bonan Steel Company with 47,295 tons (up 87%).

As for output during the third month of the Iranian year, a total of 1.76 million tons of slab, bloom, billet and ingot were produced to register a 10% decline YOY.

A total of 3.11 million tons of finished steel products, including hot- and cold-rolled coils, rebar, beams, pipes, wide and galvanized sheets were produced during the three months, up 7% YOY. MSC and its subsidiary Saba Steel had the largest share of production with 1.8 million tons (up 2% YOY), followed by ESCO with 597,267 tons (up 5% YOY), Oxin Steel Company with 212,780 tons (up 18% YOY), Khorasan Steel Company with 171,459 tons (up 6% YOY), Azarbaijan Steel Company with 80,329 tons (down 13% YOY), IASCO with 69,003 tons—65,283 tons of rebar (up 42% YOY) and 3,720 tons of “other” products (up 19% YOY), Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Automotive Sheet Company with 62,619 tons (up 36% YOY), Bonab Steel Company with 52,735 tons—427 tons of beams, 52,059 tons of rebar (down 9% YOY) and 249 tons of “other” products (down 93% YOY), Ahvaz Rolling and Pipe Manufacturing Company with 40,000 tons (up 145% YOY) and INSIG with 28,971 tons—23,355 tons of rebar, 2,380 tons of beam and 3,236 tons of pipes (up 58% YOY).

The production of finished steel products stood at 1.04 million tons in the third fiscal month to register a 14% growth YOY.