"Iran will achieve a capacity of 17.7 million mt of crude steel by the middle of the current Iranian year [September 2009]," Iranian vice president Parviz Davoodi said in a speech recently. He went on to state, "Iran will reach a capacity of 34 million mt of crude steel production by the end of its fifth socio-economic development plan [March 2015]."
Iran produced 10.4 million mt of crude steel in the last Iranian year which ended on March 20, 2009. However, this capacity level is expected to increase to 17.7 million mt by September of the current year when the following annual capacities come on stream: 1.2 million mt capacity at Mobarakeh Steel, 1.4 million mt capacity at Esfahan Steel's third blast furnace, 800,000 mt capacity within the scope of Khouzestan Steel's development plan, 1.6 million capacity at Hormozgan Steel; 550,000 mt at Vian Steel which was officially inaugurated on May 3, and a combined capacity of 1.8 million mt at a few other private sector mini-mills.