32% Decline in Iran's Aluminum Output
EghtesadOnline: Major Iranian aluminum producers' output during the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Aug. 22) stood at 103,593 tons, which indicates a 32% decrease compared with last year's corresponding period, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization's latest report shows.
Flagship producer Iran Aluminum Company accounted for 75,763 tons of the total output, registering an increase of 1% year-on-year.
It was followed by Hormozal Aluminum Company with 13,600 tons, down 71% YOY; Almahdi Aluminum Company with 12,018 tons, down 59% YOY; and Iran Alumina Company with 2,212 tons.
Aluminum production during the month to Aug. 22 stood at 20,387 tons to witness a fall of 32% YOY, according to Financial Tribune.
Iran Alumina Company produced 98,480 tons of alumina powder during five months, down 4% YOY.
Alumina powder output during the month ending Aug. 22 amounted to 19,412 tons, down by 4% YOY.
Iran's Aluminum Production Capacity Rises
Jajarm Aluminum Complex recently became operational and added 40,000 tons to the capacity of Iran's annual aluminum ingot production.
An inaugural ceremony was held in July at the site of the complex in the presence of Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani.
The plant was inaugurated on the sidelines of the visit of President Hassan Rouhani and his Cabinet to North Khorasan Province, where Jajarm Aluminum Complex is located, ILNA reported.
According to Rahmani, the plant became operational with an investment of 17 trillion rials ($150 million), creating 400 direct and 1,600 indirect jobs.
"Jajarm Aluminum Complex fulfils 30% of Iran’s domestic demand," Rahmani was quoted as saying.
According to Metal Bulletin, the new production plant aside, Iran has a current aluminum nameplate capacity of 457,000 tons per year, of which about 437,000 tons have been operationalized.
The country is planning to increase annual production to 1.5 million tons by 2025.
Rahmani noted that 27 major mining projects with investments worth $3.5 billion are underway in Iran, of which South Aluminum Company with an investment of $1.2 billion will be inaugurated by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2020).
The minister also inaugurated Iran’s first production line of alpha-alumina in Germeh County during his provincial visit.
The production unit came on stream with an investment of 270 billion rials ($2.37 million) and created 45 direct and 250 indirect jobs.
Alumina, also called aluminum oxide, is a white or nearly colorless crystalline substance used as a starting material for the smelting of aluminum metal. It also serves as the raw material for a broad range of advanced ceramic products and as an active agent in chemical processing. It is an important material that can be prepared from bauxite or kaolin in different phases. It is widely used as basic material of catalytic support because of its high chemical inertness, strength and hardness.
Also known as nano alumina, alpha-alumina is the most stable form of alumina, used as a ceramic material. It does not belong to activated alumina and has almost no catalytic activity.
Alpha-alumina is used in the production of industrial ceramics, engineering ceramics, refractories, ceramic glaze and catalysts, as well as in oil, gas and petrochemical industries.