MAKRAN (NIPNA) – Social responsibility can align local communities and industries with sustainable development in the long term, according to Alireza Moniri-Abiyaneh, Chairman of the Strategic Council of Makran Petrochemical Companies.
This alignment, he emphasized, is achieved through ethical relationships between companies and local communities.
Speaking at the second meeting of the Makran Petrochemical Companies’ Strategic Council, Moniri-Abiyaneh highlighted the history and development of the Makran Petrochemical Complex, established following a 2012 government resolution to create the country’s third petrochemical hub after Mahshahr and Asaluyeh, selecting the Chabahar Free Zone as the location.
“The initial plan for this complex includes the establishment of 18 upstream petrochemical units,” he said, emphasizing the importance of leveraging the country’s competitive advantages for these megaprojects. “An international consultant was engaged to ensure the project’s intelligence, and comprehensive studies led to the decision to build six units, including five GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) units and one ammonia-urea unit, in the first phase, based on global standards and utilizing technology for producing olefin products without relying on ethane gas.”
Moniri-Abiyaneh noted that social studies and the social responsibility framework for the petrochemical hub were developed by the late Mohammad Taghi Foroor, a founding figure in Iran’s environmental protection efforts. Foroor, who led the International Consortium of Indigenous Protected Areas and chaired the Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment, was also the architect of Iran’s first integrated social development program, “The Integrated Development of the Selassie Region.”
The petrochemical complex was instrumental in aiding flood-stricken communities in southern Balochistan during the severe flooding at the end of 2023 and early 2024, Moniri-Abiyaneh said. “All petrochemical entities in this region must support the local population in such situations to alleviate their suffering.”
He also announced that the Makran Petrochemical Complex is supporting the Baloch Academy’s cultural and sports programs for children and youth as part of its social responsibility initiatives.
Sunni scholars from Balochistan recently visited the largest industrial project in Sistan and Balochistan, expressing satisfaction with the Makran Petrochemical Complex’s establishment and progress. They pledged to facilitate communication between the local community and the industrial sector.
Moniri-Abiyaneh underscored the goals of the Makran Petrochemical Companies’ Strategic Council and the importance of social responsibility initiatives by these companies. “To achieve development, we must fully understand and respect the culture of the local community,” he said.
In conclusion, he reiterated that social responsibility is key to aligning local communities and industries with sustainable development, a goal that is only achievable through ethical and respectful relationships between companies and local populations.