80m tons of Iran’s port capacity unused: PMO
The caretaker of the Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), while announcing the latest status of Makoran ports, said that the country’s port capacity stands at about 295 million tons, but 80 million tons of this capacity remain unused.
Saeid Rasouli noted that to optimize capacity, the government and parliament, with the insightful guidance of the Leader, have taken steps toward realizing maritime-oriented development.
Rasouli, who is also the deputy minister of roads and urban development, talking to ISNA, stated that blue economy plays a key role in national projects as a macro strategy.
He added that boosting blue economy has become a necessity in the Seventh Development Plan and has been emphasized. Synergy among organizations responsible for coastal development can be very effective.
The official continued that capacity building in the country’s ports has been aligned with the needs of maritime transport, and significant measures have been taken. Maximum utilization of these capacities should be prioritized.
Rasouli noted that very favorable capacity has been created in the country’s ports, and to maximize its use, several key issues must be addressed. These include the country’s import and export conditions and identifying solutions to increase maritime transport.
He said that the competitive capacity of neighboring ports can affect the country’s transit and transshipment status. He emphasized the need to accurately assess the current situation in the region to actualize the potential capacity of the country’s ports and to pay attention to modern maritime transport models, such as using large-sized ships and hub development.
Regarding the development of the country’s commercial ports based on comprehensive plans, Rasouli said that market understanding is crucial in these plans. This has been considered in the 5-, 10-, and 15-year programs.
With the formulation of a comprehensive plan for the country’s ports as a roadmap, all development plans in the ports will be implemented accordingly.
The deputy minister of transport stated that the performance of ports in the oil and non-oil sectors, both in the north and south of the country, is about 210 million tons, with 70 to 80 million tons of unused capacity.
Rasouli said that to develop and boost transit, favorable conditions must be created in the country’s ports, and cooperation and synergy among other organizations, as well as the updating of their equipment and facilities, should be ensured.
Rasouli also noted that the goals for the country’s ports are being implemented based on comprehensive port plans and prioritization.
During the Ten Days of Dawn (celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution), various development projects, mostly infrastructure-related, were inaugurated with the presence of the minister of roads and urban development.
Regarding projects under study, particularly for the Makoran coast, the location of the Great Makoran Port have been determined, and coordination with the Ministry of Oil has been completed.
He expressed hope that with the special attention of the government and the formulation of a comprehensive plan and development programs for the Makoran Port, land acquisition for the Ports and Maritime Organization will be successfully completed, followed by investments by the organization.
Record broken for container transport
The chairman of the board of directors of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Group’s container transport company announced that the record for container transport has been broken in the history of the group’s operations despite sanction pressures.
Hamzeh Keshavarz stated that the container transport company, as the container shipping arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Group, moved 100,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) more this year compared to the previous year (1402 in the Persian calendar), significantly improving the container transport record within the group.
He attributed this achievement to the mutual trust between the company and cargo owners, adding that efforts by the shipping group and the container transport company are focused on expanding cooperation with customers and providing safe, regular, and cost-effective services.
In this regard, the official noted that the company has maintained steady growth in its operations over the past five years despite sanctions and related limitations. He highlighted that this year, the company has seen a 41% growth in operational performance compared to five years ago.