Iran's petrochemicals exports have been boosted by the lifting of sanctions, opening the possibility for major inward investment in the years ahead. In the first three months of FY2016/17, petrochemicals comprised over a third of Iran's exports with 27.9mn tonnes sold on external markets worth a total of USD3.54bn. Iran  projects that its total petrochemicals output will reach 54.7mn tonnes in FY2016/17, an increase of 18% that will be based on exports and supported by increased capacity utilisation and new plants coming onstream.

NPC has said the country's petrochemical output could increase by nearly 12% in  FY2016/17 due to capacity expansion and export recovery. NPC plans to launch 15 new petrochemical units by FY2016/17, thereby increasing the country's capacity by 8.5mn tonnes.

A number of projects are due to be completed by 2016. The government has already confirmed the 14th olefins complex, which will be built at Firouzabad and produce 1mn tonnes per annum (tpa) ethylene, and the 15th olefins complex, planned at Genaveh with 500,000tpa of ethylene. The 17th olefins complex will be built at Dehloran in Ilam Province by Dehloran Petrochemical Company, and will have a mixed-feed cracker with the capacity to produce 607,000tpa ethylene. 
The 16th olefins and methanol complex is already being constructed by Bushehr Petrochemical Company as part of Phase II of the Pars special economic zone (SEZ) at Asaluyeh, with capacity for 1mn tpa ethylene and 1.65mn tpa methanol.