By David Reed, UT EditorLondon-Sirjan Petrochemical Co., the Iranian firm which was planning to build a propylene oxide/polyether polyols operation at a complex near Bam in Kerman Province, has failed to find a western company willing to supply the technology needed.But, "we are still working hardly on the main project which is methanol, MTP (methanol to propylene) etc," said Kamin Nosratian, a member of the board with Sirjan and Petro International Services Co."The consumption of PU is in Iran now between 60-80 kilotonnes per year and now a TDI/MDI plant with Chematur Sweden license is under construction, so earlier or later someone will build a plant, if not with western licensors so, finally, with Chinese or Indian technology, unfortunately," he added.Originally, Sirjan planned to build a 120-ktpa propylene oxide plant with a 60-ktpa plant for making polyether polyols, and the possibility of using the Krupp/Uhde's recently announced direct oxidation process for PO was being considered.The isocyanate project-finanaced by two western firms and the Iranian National Petrochemical Co.-is still going ahead, however. It aims to make 40 ktpa of both MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and TDI (toluene diisocyanate), using technology supplied by Chematur Engineering of Sweden and Hanse Chemie of Germany who have 30-percent shares in the project, the rest being held by NPC.This is scheduled for start-up in April 2005."
