Outotec presented at IIAC 2014 – the Iranian International Aluminum Conference in Tehran, Iran

The Iranian International Aluminum Conference 2014 (IIAC 2014), a bi-annual conference, was held in Tehran, Iran on May 24th & 25th. The conference was organized and hosted by Iran Aluminiun Research Centre at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Iranian Mines and Mineral Industries Development & Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). 
This year’s conference was well attended with approx. 650 people from 200 companies & universities including the major Iranian producers in the alumina, primary smelting, extrusion, rolling and other related downstream aluminum industries, as well as traders and suppliers to these markets. 
More than 30 international companies presented their technologies, services and products dedicated to the aluminum and related industries, including Danieli, NFC, Fives Solios, Claudius Peters and Brochot.
The primary aluminum industry in Iran is still quite small compared to other countries, with an annual production of approx. 350,000 tpy from two smelter sites. IMIDRO plans to raise the aluminum production in Iran to 1.5 million tpy by 2025. Similarly for alumina, the present alumina production in Iran from only one existing plant at Jajarm is only 250,000 tpy, fed using local bauxite.
Also in terms of aluminum consumption, Iran is still rather immature with approx. 5 kg per capita, compared to 25 – 30 kg per capita in developed countries. This situation leaves a high potential for growth of the aluminum industry in Iran in the near future.
Iran has limited access to high grade bauxite, but an abundance of other non-bauxite aluminous bearing ores such as nepheline syenite and alunite and is looking to produce alumina to feed the primary aluminum industry using technologies other than the Bayer process.
Outotec was represented at the conference by Dr. Alessio Scarsella and Manfred Beilstein from the Light Metals B/L in Germany, who both presented Outotec’s technologies in their respective fields. The presentations resulted in lots of discussions on potential projects in the Iranian aluminum industry.
At the exhibition held in parallel to the conference, Outotec & IRANEUROPE, Outotec representative in Iran, were represented with a booth and sponsorship to the event. 

By: Manfred Beilstein