TEHRAN—Iran has signed its first post-sanction EPC contract with the Swiss company Welding Engineers for the construction of a rubber plant in the southern port of Assalouyeh.
The Swiss company is to complete the final phase of the emulsion styrene butadiene rubber plant, which includes drying lines, packaging and preparation for export to local and international markets.
In October 2015, Sadaf Chemical broke ground on the ESBR plant, which will produce five grades of rubber—some of them specifically for tires.
Iran expects to complete the construction of the plant by the end of 2018.
The project is fully financed by Iranian stakeholders and the construction will be carried out by the Iranian Petrochemical Industries Construction Co.
The plant will produce five grades of dry and oily rubber, two of which will be used in the tire industry and three in plastics, according to Jazayeri.
The facility will produce 136,000 tons of ESBR annually and will have the capability to change grades and adapt to downstream demands where necessary.
In terms of feedstock, Pars and Jam petrochemical plants will supply 26,000 tons of styrene; 84,000 tons of butadiene and 25,000 tons of aromatic oils to the project together.
Iran expects China to be a major export market for Sadaf's ESBR products, with a demand of 1.5 million tons a year.
The company expects to export around 50,000 tons of ESBR per year.