Insider Talk: MEMRADCO CEO

The mining sector can play a key role in creating jobs and revenue for the country. Mostly located in remote areas, these mines can be developed to ease unemployment issues. South Khorasan Province and the Tabas region are among deprived areas in Iran, but they are home to underdeveloped coal reserves. Over the past years, most of these mines have been left unused. To further discuss the domestic coal industry, FelezatOnline has interviewed Bahram Jelodari, CEO of Middle East Mine Development and Renovation Company (MEMRADCO). He believes that the view towards coal mine development should be changed and these mines should be supported by the government, because they contribute to the development of the steel industry as a major industry for the country.

"Cast iron parts cannot be replaced"

Due to the depreciation of the rial, the foundry industry, especially cast iron, has become a great venue for production and exports. At the same time, many producers of cast iron parts believe that while lower imports have given them an opportunity to expand their share in the domestic market, other problems such as higher raw materials prices and reduced liquidity have affected producers’ capability, especially in small- and medium-sized companies. Due to the importance of these matters, we have interviewed Abdolrahman Arshadi, CEO of Iran Tractor Foundry Company, a leading producer of cast parts in Iran.

Domestic Stainless Steel Production

Industries such as petroleum, petrochemicals, and food products are constantly handling corrosive materials, so the parts and components of the machinery need to be corrosion-resistant. Thus, the production of stainless steel has grown in developed countries with the participation of products in large or small scales. In Iran, small-scale stainless steel production is carried out by several casting plants, but mass production has yet to be realized as most consumers import their raw materials. Now that the country is under sanctions, it has been extremely difficult to import this type of steel, even from China; the capability of domestic producers is now required. FelezatOnline has interviewed Ehsan Zafari, Head of the Localization Committee at IASCO to further discuss the production of stainless steel; he believes that IASCO has the knowledge and technical capability required to produce stainless steel, but mass production requires demand aggregation so that in addition to commercialized production, the country can cut imports of some grades.

Insider Talk: Iran Ferrosilice CEO

When it comes to ferroalloy industries in Iran, ferrosilicon is the first material that comes to the mind; in addition to its key role in steel industries, it contributes to a large part of exports in the industry owing to rich reserves of raw materials in Iran. In the production of ferrosilicon in the country, Iran Ferrosilice is one of the leading companies. The company is among the first and largest producers of ferrosilicon in Iran. Established in 1360 in Semnan, the company, during its 38 years of operation, has had a key role in meeting the demand for ferrosilicon in the steel industry and exports to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. We have interviewed Mohammad Ali Keypour, CEO of Iran Ferrosilice, to assess the production of ferrosilicon in Iran.