TEHRAN, June 28 (Shana) -- Managing director of National Petrochemical Company (NPC) underlined curbing crude oil sale as a primal NPC strategy under the 6th development plan, adding the company accepts new petrochemical projects only if they help complete the industry's value chain.

Speaking to Shana, Marziyeh Shahdaei, who is also deputy petroleum minister in petrochemical affairs, said preventing sale of crude materials in a push to bolster the petrochemical industry in Iran is a chief strategy by NPC under the 6th five-year development plan (2016-2021), and completion of value chain gains much significance under the strategy.

"NPC considers for construction only those projects that complete the value chain of the sector," she added.

"NPC, as the custodian of the petrochemical industry of Iran, considers projects only if their investors take measures to complete the value chain and feedstocks like methane, ethane, propane, etc. are supplied to newly-built plants only if do so," the official said.

She said Iran will launch 11 petrochemical projects by the end of the current Iranian calendar year to March 20 2017 which will add nearly 6 million metric tons to the country's total petrochemical output.

By SHANA