The Production Program of 2018-2019 Implemented

Saad Abdi – Planning and Observation Manager of National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) – in an exclusive interview with the Me-Metal’s journalist declared: Despite sanctions, we have been able to implement the programs of the National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) during the last two weeks of the year, so that the production of copper concentrate on 12 Esfand 1397 (03 March 2019) was 1,123,000 tons and hopefully the production will reach to 1,160,000 tons by the end of the year (1397).

Abdi stated: At first, the production program of copper anode for 1397 (2018-2019) was to produce 245,000 tons, but after the US sanctions imposed on Iran, we increased the production program to 260,000 tons and implemented the new program on 05 Esfand 1397 (24 February 2019). Fortunately, more than 298,000 tons anodes have been produced until 13 Esfand 1397 (04 March 2019) and the production will certainly surpass 310,000 by the end of the year. These records in production have been set for the first time in the history of the copper company.

He added: The production program of copper cathode for 1397 (2018-2019) was also at first 200,000 tons, then we augmented the amount to 215,000 tons after the US sanctions and have been able to implement the program on 06 Esfand 1397 (25 February 2019). To be fortunate again, more than 233,700 tons copper cathodes have been produced until 14 Esfand 1397 (05 March 2019) and the production will definitely surpass 244,000 tons cathodes by the end of 1397 (2018-2019). This number is the highest amount of cathode production of the National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) in the history of the company.

With emphasis on 185,000,000 tons as the whole amount of exploitation by the National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO), the Planning and Observation Manager of NICICO expressed: At first, the index of mineral copper content was 280,000 tons, but in the production program it has been increased to 286,000 tons after the US sanctions, and as of today, 15 Esfand 1397 (06 March 2019), we have been able to beat this record as well. Abdi said: We predict that our production of copper content will reach to 303,000 tons by the end of the solar year (2018-2019).

In the interview with Me-Metals he also added: The sale program of the National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) for the year was 9,000 billion tomans (90,000 billion rials), but because of the improving situation of the company, 10,000 billion tomans (100,000 billion rials) products will hopefully be sold till the end of 1397 (2018-2019).

In conclusion, Mr. Abdi stated: The successes of the National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) rely on the main strategies of the company for 1397 (2018-2019) and have been achieved owing to strengthening the basic principles of the company, such as human forces, development, production sustainability, maintenance and improvement of the quality of the products, improvement of the environmental standards, optimization of material usage, devices, water and energy carriers.  

Interview by: Alireza Jafarinejad

Translation by: M. Payehghadr