TEHRAN – Some 518 development projects worth over 100 trillion rials (about $2.38 billion) were inaugurated during President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to East Azarbaijan Province on Thursday.

As reported by IRNA, the inaugurated projects include four major power plant, water and dam projects as well as 370 construction and infrastructure projects plus several economic, agriculture and mining projects.

Development of Tabriz Refinery

One of the major projects which was inaugurated during the president’s visit to the province was the development project of Tabriz Refinery in which the refinery’s gasoline and gasoil quality were upgraded to Euro 5 and production units for base and lubricating oils were added to the refinery complex.

Some 54.15 trillion rials (about $1.29 billion) of investment was made to complete the Tabriz Refinery development project.

Speaking in the opening ceremony of this project, Gholamreza Baqeri, the managing director of the refinery announced that currently all the 3.5 million barrels per day of the refinery’s gasoline output is of Euro 5 quality.

Gas supply to rural areas

The Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hassan Montazer Torbati who accompanied the president in his visit inaugurated a project for connecting 53 villages in East Azarbaijan Province to the national gas network on Thursday.

The project, worth 380 billion rials (about $9 million) is going to supply gas to over 3000 households in the mentioned province.
On behalf of the president, Torbati also inaugurated other gas supply projects including connecting industrial parks to the national gas network and the Varzaqan-Ahar gas pipeline

which is also connected to the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

Agricultural projects

During President Rouhani’s visit to East Azarbaijan Province, numerous agricultural projects worth more than 9.33 trillion rials (over $222 million) were also inaugurated or launched.

The Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati who was also among the cabinet members accompanying the president in his visit, inaugurated several projects across the province, including industrial poultry units, a greenhouses and fish farming complexes.

Health and medical projects

Some 78 health and medical projects were also inaugurated by the Health Minister Saied Namaki, including a 304 bed hospital in Marand city.

The minister also inaugurated a rural and urban health service center which provides medical services, health care, midwifery, pharmacy, environmental and occupational health, injections and health education to people.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, including some cabinet members, Rouhani arrived in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan, on Thursday for a one-day visit.

EF/MA