An official figure in the Iranian National Petrochemical Company said that world's largest ethylene producer has been launched in Asalouyeh.Official added that the West Ethylene Pipeline will begin operation.

Mr Reza Amiri directing manager of Kavian Petrochemical Complex said that"The joint production capacity of Kavian is 2 million tonne annually and the tentative production has started early December."He also announced the launching of the world's largest ethylene producer unit in Pars Special Economic Energy Zone.

Mr Amiri said that the operation of this large unit of ethylene production has made the West Ethylene Pipeline the world's largest petrochemical pipeline.He added that so far,some of the ethylene produced at Kavian has been pumped to Arvand Petro chemicals as raw material via the West Pipeline.

Official said that raw material for Kavian Petrochemicals is provided by different phases of the South Pars,and due to delay in commissioning the development of the phases 15 to 18 of the South Pars,currently,phases 4,5,9,and 10 of the South Pars supply the ethane feedstock for the petrochemical complex."

He said that Kavian Petrochemicals can process 2 million and 580 tonne of feedstock annually and so far,its first production line has been made operational with a capacity of 1 million tonne of ethylene annually and it is expected that by the end of June when new phases of the South Pars become operational,the second production line will be operative.

He added that EUR 190 million Euros and IRR 4500 billion were spent for the design,production,installation and operation of Kavian Petrochemicals,which were provided by the National Development Fund with the agency of the Bank of Industry and Mine.

He further added that this complex supplies the ethylene feedstock of 7 petrochemical complexes via the West Ethylene Pipeline and that currently,ethylene with a formula minus 5%of FOB Persian Gulf is sold USD 950 and each ton of ethane is purchased USD 175 as feedstock.