Turkmenistan on the way to the leading positions in the region in the supply of iodine
Turkmenistan continues to strengthen its position as a key producer of iodine in the region and the world. So, for the first month of 2018, 42.9 tons of iodine was produced in the country, which is 21.5% more than in the same period last year.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan, in 2017 the use of production facilities for iodine production in the country reached the level of 84.8%. At the same time, iodine balance on the market as of January 1, 2018 decreased by 64.6% compared to January 2017.
This became possible due to an increase in the export of Turkmen iodine by 42.8%, which indicates the improvement of its quality characteristics and increasing competitiveness in the world market.
In 2017, Turkmenistan produced 543.8 tons of iodine, which is 20.8% more than the planned target. The state concern "Turkmenkhimiya" is engaged in extraction and production of iodine in the country.
Turkmenistan has the largest deposits of iodine-bromine waters, which are located in the Balkan velayat. The industrial production is situated in Cheleken, Boyadagh, Nebitdag-Monzhukli deposits. The Gogerendag-Karadashli field belongs to the reserve group, where over 50% of Turkmenistan's iodine reserves are concentrated, ranking first among CIS countries in this regard. According to experts, the forecast reserves of iodine in the western region of the country far exceed the explored ones.
At present, the Khazar Chemical and Balkanabat iodine plants specialize mainly in the production of high-purity technical iodine, which is used in the production of photographic materials, dyes, electronics, synthetic rubber, various chemicals, liquid crystal displays, etc.
More than half of the iodine consumed in the world is used in the manufacture of medicines, as well as in radiography, diagnostics, veterinary medicine and other areas related to medicine. Analysts believe that in the next decade the demand for iodine will grow, as will the price for it.
The traditional production of Turkmen pharmacists is a medical 5% alcohol solution of iodine. And seaside chemists have mastered the release of potassium iodate, which is supplied to the Gouvyduz Combine, where special technological lines for salt iodization are launched.
In 2014, in Bereket (Balkan velayat), a working pharmaceutical company has been established to produce 250 million iodine sticks, 50 million iodine pencils and 500,000 dental tampons a year.
According to the development program of Turkmenistan for 2018-2024, it is planned to increase the capacity of the enterprises for the production of iodine, bromine and products from them based on the processing of iodine-bromine waters in the territory of the Balkan velayat. As a result, in 7 years the production of technical iodine in the country will increase by 2.3 times, and in 2024 the export volume of this product will exceed 1 thousand tons.
