TEHRAN - The third phase of the development plan of Iran’s biggest container port, Shahid Rajaee, is going to go operational by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2021), according to head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).

“The third phase [of the port] is expected to go operational before the end of the year and it will be able to accept ships with capacities up to 18,400 TEUs,” IRIB quoted Mohammad Rastad as saying.

Noting that one of the priorities of the Ports and Maritime Organization is to shift the maximum possible share of the country’s cargo transport toward the rail transportation, Rastad said” “direct rail transportation of goods from vessel to wagons at Shahid Rajaee Port is a sign of development in this area.”

“We need to reduce road freight and move toward rail transportation,” he stressed.

Pointing out that Hormozgan is a hub for cruises and tourism, the official said: “We have taken appropriate steps in this area as well,” adding: "Updating the maritime fleet and encouraging investors to develop infrastructure and modernize the fleet should also be considered as priorities."

In August 2019, PMO’s Director of Engineering and Infrastructure Development Mohammadreza Allahyar had said that the port’s capacity is planned to rise 2.1 million TEUs to reach 8 million TEUs through implementing the first stage of the third phase of its development plan by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

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.

Given its significant role in the country’s import and export of products as well as transit and transshipment via Iran, development of Shahid Rajaee Port has been among the most important development projects in the country.

EF/MA