Turkmenistan continues to cement its position as a global powerhouse in the production of iodine, with an annual output reaching 525 metric tons of raw material.
According to reports from the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper, the country’s success is rooted in a deep synergy between industrial capacity and scientific research. Experts from the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan have spent years developing the physicochemical foundations and specialized technologies required to extract iodine from highly concentrated mineral waters.
“Our research serves as the scientific basis for the design and industrial development of iodine-bromine deposits,” says Lyudmila Atamalova, PhD in Chemical Sciences and researcher at the Laboratory of Chemistry and Technology of Hydromineral Raw Materials.
Atamalova notes that the geological conditions and flow rates of hydromineral sources vary significantly across the country. To maximize efficiency, Turkmen chemists work in close collaboration with geological exploration teams and industrial enterprises.
Southwestern Turkmenistan remains one of the most promising regions for the industry. Deposits here supply the Khazar (Cheleken), Balkanabat, and Boyadag iodine plants, operated by the State Concern “Türkmenhimiýa.” These facilities produce high-quality iodine, including technical grade “A” and reagent grade “Pure” (Ch), with a primary substance concentration of 99.5%.
While many deposits show average iodine concentrations of 27–33 mg/l, two sites in the Western Kopetdag—Seitkerderi and Guylar—are considered unique on a global scale. The iodine concentration in these waters reaches staggering levels of 312 mg/l and 430 mg/l, respectively. Furthermore, the Seitkerderi deposit has shown significant presence of boron.
Currently, industrial extraction in Turkmenistan focuses primarily on iodine. However, scientists are now pivoting toward the “complex processing” of hydromineral raw materials to extract other valuable elements currently lost in industrial wastewater, such as bromine compounds, magnesium and calcium salts, lithium, boron, and strontium.
Research has identified that the iodine-bromine waters supplied to the Khazar and Balkanabat plants from the Cheleken and Nebitdag-Monjukly deposits are particularly rich in lithium.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan possesses significant potential to scale up its iodine production. This growth can be achieved by developing new, promising deposits of industrial waters within the Gograndag-Ekerem oil and gas region, as well as throughout the geological structures of Gograndag-Karadashli, Ekerem, Kamyshlydja, and others.
According to data from the global statistical platform Statista, Turkmenistan currently ranks third in the world for iodine production. Chile remains the undisputed global leader, with an estimated output of 22,000 metric tons in 2024. Japan holds the second position, producing approximately 9,300 metric tons annually.
In 2023, total global iodine production reached approximately 30,000 metric tons. While widely recognized as a salt additive to prevent iodine deficiency, the element is a critical component in the production of acetic acid, polymers, and—most significantly—X-ray contrast agents for medical diagnostics. ///nCa, 20 January 2026