26 August 2012
Some 40 trillion rials ($4 billion) have been invested in Iranian ports, said head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization.
Ataollah Sadr said on Saturday that some 150 port projects, worth 20 trillion rials ($2 billion), are presently underway in the country, adding that the entire fund has been procured through domestic resources, IRNA reported.
He noted the same amount of investment have been made in the ports by the private sector.
The official said that 120 projects, costing 8 trillion rials ($8 billion), have become operational in the country in the past year (ended March 21), adding that 72 projects worth 9.3 trillion rials (930 million) are expected to go into stream in the current year.
He put the cargo handling capacity of 11 main ports of the country at 172 million tons, of which 135 million tons are currently being used.
He said the container capacity of domestic ports is 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), while some 3 million TEU of containers are loaded and unloaded in the ports.
Sadr added that the passenger transfer capacity of the ports is 13 million, and that an adequate investment has been made for development of marine transportation of passengers.
Referring to strategic geographical location of Iran which has access to southern sea and links with Turkey, Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, he said this has provided an opportunity for developing transit through the mainland.
He said that some 10 million tons of commodities were transited via the Iranian ports last year.
Sadr also said that in order to materialize the annual economic growth of eight percent, envisaged by Vision 2025, the cargo handling capacity of the ports should be developed significantly.
Some 40 trillion rials ($4 billion) have been invested in Iranian ports, said head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization.
Ataollah Sadr said on Saturday that some 150 port projects, worth 20 trillion rials ($2 billion), are presently underway in the country, adding that the entire fund has been procured through domestic resources, IRNA reported.
He noted the same amount of investment have been made in the ports by the private sector.
The official said that 120 projects, costing 8 trillion rials ($8 billion), have become operational in the country in the past year (ended March 21), adding that 72 projects worth 9.3 trillion rials (930 million) are expected to go into stream in the current year.
He put the cargo handling capacity of 11 main ports of the country at 172 million tons, of which 135 million tons are currently being used.
He said the container capacity of domestic ports is 5.7 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), while some 3 million TEU of containers are loaded and unloaded in the ports.
Sadr added that the passenger transfer capacity of the ports is 13 million, and that an adequate investment has been made for development of marine transportation of passengers.
Referring to strategic geographical location of Iran which has access to southern sea and links with Turkey, Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, he said this has provided an opportunity for developing transit through the mainland.
He said that some 10 million tons of commodities were transited via the Iranian ports last year.
Sadr also said that in order to materialize the annual economic growth of eight percent, envisaged by Vision 2025, the cargo handling capacity of the ports should be developed significantly.
© Iran Daily 2012
