China’s Sinosteel has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to carry out aluminium projects in Iran, according to the Iranian Mehr News Agency (MNA).

The MoU was signed with Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation (Imidro) to build plants to produce alumina powder, aluminium ingots and a power plant to supply electricity to the facilities.

According to MNA the projects have proposed capacities of 1.6 million tonnes a year (t/y) of alumina powder, 350,000 t/y of aluminium ingots and 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

The aluminium plants will be carried out under am engineering, procurement, construction and financing (EPCF) contract, while the power plant project will be implemented in a build, own, operate (BOO) partnership.

Iran has plans to tender 15 mining and metals projects, the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade announced in October 2015. Projects include the production of iron ore, steel chromite, aluminium, bauxite, copper, zinc and gold.

In August 2015, India’s National Aluminium Company (Nalco) announced plans to invest $2.6bn in an aluminium smelter and associated power plant in Iran. However, no further details have emerged on the project.