TEHRAN – Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami inaugurated 24 development projects worth over 3.626 trillion rials (about $86.3 million) at the ports of southwestern Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces.

As reported by IRNA, 20 of the mentioned projects were inaugurated in Hormozgan province, while the other four were put into operation in Bushehr.

Overall, the mentioned projects, which were inaugurated during a visit by the minister to the mentioned provinces, are going to create direct job opportunities for more than 1,000 people.

An electricity dispatching project, a terminal for hazardous goods, some oil products storage tanks, as well as a transit and export terminal in Shahid Rajaei port, were some of the projects inaugurated in Hormozgan province.

Several tourist docks in ports and islands, inauguration and commissioning of CCTV monitoring system of Shahid Rajaei port’s security unit, and overhaul of a railway line in this port were also put into operation in the mentioned province.

The fire extinguishing system of Kharg port, the overhaul of infrastructure facilities in Bushehr port, electricity supply to Kharg Island’s Morvarid port, connecting Bushehr, Kharg, Genaveh, Mohammad Ameri, Kangan, Deir, Bolkheir, Rig, and Lavar ports to the international Navtex system and upgrading the telecommunication system of Bushehr port’s passenger terminal, were also among the projects inaugurated in Bushehr province.

Given their significant role in the country’s import and export of products as well as transit and transshipment via Iran, the development of southern ports has been among the most important priorities of the government in the past years.

Ports of Hormozgan province account for 52 percent of the country’s total loading and unloading of goods; over 41 percent of oil cargoes, 60 percent of non-oil cargoes, and 82 percent of container shipments of the country pass through the ports of this province.

Located in Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan, Shahid Rajaee is the country’s largest and best-equipped container port.

Enjoying the most modern container terminals and port equipment, Shahid Rajaee accounts for 85 percent of the total loading and unloading at the Iranian ports.

Back in July 2020, the Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad said that the third phase of the development plan of Shahid Rajaei port was going to go operational by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).

EF/MA