Iodine production in Turkmenistan — plants, deposits and export supply
Turkmenistan is one of the world’s significant iodine producers. The United States Geological Survey lists it among the countries of global importance for iodine and sulfur, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry puts national output at about 525 tonnes of iodine a year. Almost all of it comes from the west of the country, where iodine-bromine thermal waters are drawn from oil and gas structures and processed on site.
Where the raw material comes from
The feedstock is not ore but hot drilling water carrying a high concentration of iodine and bromine. The producing deposits are Cheleken, Boyadag, Monjukly, Ekerem, Uzboy, Guyular (Kuilyar) and Seyitkerderi, together with Chalja in Bereket etrap. Boyadag — an extinct volcano whose thermal waters are still used industrially — has been worked since the second half of the twentieth century and its raw material still feeds the Balkanabat plant.
Room to grow is well identified: the Ministry points to new industrial water deposits in the Gograndag–Ekerem oil and gas region and the Gograndag–Karadashli structures as the route to higher volumes.
The plants
- Hazar (Cheleken) chemical plant — one of the oldest chemical enterprises in the country.
- Balkanabat iodine plant — specialises in technical high-purity iodine; holder of the International Platinum Star Award (1998) and the International Quality Award (Madrid, 2000).
- Boyadag and Bereket plants — Bereket was commissioned on local Guyular and Chalja raw material and also produces iodine pencils and other medicinal preparations.
All four operate under the State Concern Türkmenhimiya. Alongside them, the private enterprise Barat Tokay produces iodine for export.
New capacity at Balkanabat
In July 2026 the President of Turkmenistan approved a proposal to establish a new modern production facility at the Balkanabat iodine plant. The proposal was presented at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting by Deputy Prime Minister Baymyrat Annamammedov as part of measures to raise output across Türkmenhimiya enterprises, with instructions issued to take it forward.
What the iodine is used for
Technical iodine from these plants goes into pharmaceuticals and antiseptics, photographic materials, dyes and pigments, electronics and liquid crystal displays, synthetic rubber, non-ferrous metallurgy, compound animal feed and food fortification. Turkmen material has been shipped to the UAE, the United States, Azerbaijan and Latvia.
Sourcing iodine from Turkmenistan
We work directly with the producers listed above. If your company needs technical iodine — or the related iodine chemicals produced in Turkmenistan, such as potassium iodide, potassium iodate and iodised salt — send us the grade, volume, destination and preferred incoterm and we will come back with a formal offer from the producer.
Product pages: Technical iodine · Potassium iodide · Potassium iodate · Iodised edible salt