He underscored that Iran's petrochemical industry would achieve full
potential when it succeeds in domestically producing all internationally
recognized petrochemical products.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Development and Future Outlook
Conference in the Petrochemical Industry held at the Imam Sadiq University of
Tehran on Thursday, Morteza Shahmirzaei stated, "Looking into the future
without drawing lessons from the past and evaluating the current situation is
not feasible. Iran's petrochemical industry owes its existence to the Islamic
Revolution."
He added, "We must set aside traditional methods and approaches
and shape the future of this industry with innovative thinking, spirit, and
transformative approaches, relying entirely on domestic capacities such as
leveraging the capabilities of universities, research institutes, science and
technology parks, and knowledge-based companies."
The Deputy Petroleum Minister further remarked, "Our martyrs
preserved the Iranian identity and did not rely on the West. Relying on the West
undermines the industrial and cultural identity of the country."
He continued, "After the Islamic Revolution, our country's elite
and specialists took control and management of the oil industry, and during the
years following the revolution, this industry did not suffer any
disruptions."
"We have never welcomed sanctions, nor will we, but in areas
severely targeted by unjust sanctions, including nanotechnology, aerospace,
military, armaments, and others, we have achieved self-sufficiency and
victory," Shahmirzaei asserted.
He continued, "If we search in the literature of the Supreme
Leader's statements, over 30 years ago, he guided us to refrain from crude oil
sales."
Shahmirzaei emphasized, "Completing the value chain and
indigenizing all technologies is, in fact, implementing the teachings of more
than 30 years ago by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, which we
have tried to execute and pursue."
"If we can reach the technical knowledge of all internationally
recognized petrochemical products and produce them domestically, this will
bring prestige to the petrochemical industry," Shahmirzaei noted.
The CEO of the NPC recalled that the first petrochemical complex in
the country was inaugurated 65 years ago and added, "During the despotic
era, petrochemical production was summarized in six complexes, and despite the
red carpet laid out for them in Western countries, they did not want
value-added, employment, and intellectual development to occur in our
country."
He criticized the notion that cooperation with the West is necessary
for progress, stating, "The frozen mindset of needing to align with Europe
and America still exists in the country, and we must distance ourselves from
it."
Shahmirzaei declared, "Despite the discovery of the first well
113 years ago, we are still dependent on the catalysis field!"
"With eight years of imposed war, we have had the most innovation
in the petrochemical industry, and the production of this industry has
multiplied several times compared to before the Islamic Revolution. The
petrochemical industry is an ultra-specialized industry, and different
production processes exist in each complex," he elaborated.
He concluded by stating that until the end of the thirteenth
government, the catalysis sector will be entirely indigenous. "In the next
four years, we can source all equipment for the oil industry from domestic
manufacturers," Shahmirzaei affirmed.
Shahmirzaei highlighted that the current production capacity of the
petrochemical industry exceeds 92 million tons in 75 complexes. "The
vision of the petrochemical industry is to achieve the technical knowledge of
all internationally recognized petrochemical products produced worldwide,"
he concluded.
The inaugural Development and Future Outlook Conference in the
Petrochemical Industry, attended by Morteza Shahmirzaei, CEO of the NPC,
managing directors of petrochemical companies, and representatives of active
holdings in the country's petrochemical industries, was held at the Faculty of
Economics at Imam Sadiq University of Tehran on Thursday, March 7.