The supply of iodine is set to rise as producers in Turkmenistan refurbish and expand capacity, according to The Economics of Iodine (eighth edition), published by Roskill Information Services.
The country’s government intends to raise domestic iodine production to 1,000 tonnes per year by 2005 and to 1,700 tonnes by 2010. The plan is designed to render Turkmenistan the world’s third-largest producer, behind Chile and Japan. Chile-based SQM, the world’s largest producer, controls less than 25% of global capacity.
The report says demand for iodine will continue to rise at the rate of 2% per year, whereas production between 1993 and 2001 rose by 3.8% per year. Demand is expected to be stimulated by the rising use of iodine in conductive polymers and fuel cells. Currently, X-ray contrast media accounts for around a quarter of demand.
Japanese iodine production fell to 6,100 tonnes during the past two years, a drop of 1,500 tonnes per year.
Be the first to comment on "Iodine supply forecast to rise"