Mazandaran kicks off infrastructure projects with new major investment deals
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian inaugurated several infrastructure and health projects in Mazandaran Province on Wednesday while signing investment deals worth more than 40 trillion tomans ($242 million) aimed at developing the northern region.
Pezeshkian arrived in Sari on Wednesday for a two-day visit during which important development and service projects across the province are being inaugurated. The initiatives encompass a range of significant environmental, medical, infrastructure, and economic plans for Mazandaran.
Key highlights of the visit include the opening of two national projects in waste management and energy: the Eastern Mazandaran Waste Processing Plant and the Sari Waste-to-Energy Plant. Moreover, 21 health sector projects and a broader set of medical initiatives in the province were launched during a ceremony on Wednesday evening. The simultaneous commencement of major water and electricity projects in Mazandaran was also announced by presidential order.
According to ISNA, the Sari Waste-to-Energy Plant, a flagship waste management project for the province, has the capacity to process 450 tons of waste per day and is expected to play a critical role in managing waste.
Phases one and two of the project, under a contract signed in 2012, have now been fully completed. Key milestones achieved include the delivery of all imported equipment to the site, provision of vital infrastructure including water, electricity, and access roads, significant progress in civil construction, ignition of furnaces one and two, and the commencement of waste reception after 13 years.
With the plant now operational, long-standing waste management challenges in the provincial capital are expected to be significantly reduced, marking an effective step toward environmental protection and improved quality of urban services in Mazandaran. Abdolreza Dadbod, deputy for coordination of urban affairs at the Mazandaran Governorate, said at the Wednesday evening ceremony, “The Eastern Mazandaran Province Waste Processing Plant uses the latest recycling methods and converts waste into usable materials for the agricultural sector. This plant, after being in construction for several decades, is the first complete waste management facility in the province, and three counties will benefit from its services.”
During the visit, the president is also scheduled to hold meetings with investors, economic actors, and elites from the province’s political, cultural, and social spheres.
In a meeting with investors and economic actors in Mazandaran, Pezeshkian highlighted the province’s regional connectivity potential. He stated that the transportation corridor stretching from northern Iran toward Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Azerbaijan constitutes an important economic artery.
He added that domestically, the development of rail corridors and public transportation, in cooperation with the Parliament and through attracting investors, is on the agenda to reduce transportation costs and facilitate economic activity.
Investment agreements signed
With the president and the governor of Mazandaran in attendance, eight major investment projects in the province were formally signed. The projects, representing a total investment of more than 40 trillion tomans ($242 million), are expected to create employment for over 9,000 people and support the development of various industries, including agriculture, steel, tourism, and education.
The signed initiatives span the sectors of agriculture, steel, tourism, wood and paper industries, and waste management, with the overarching goal of promoting economic development and generating sustainable employment in the province.