Official: Iran Should Prioritize Building Small, Medium-Sized Vessels

“Our priority is the design and construction of small and medium-sized vessels,” said Mehdi Khorassanchi.

“In my opinion, building ocean-going vessels is not a suitable path for us. None of the shipyards (factories/shipbuilding workshops) on large, medium, and small scales work in parallel with each other or with other sectors,” he added.

“A country is considered successful in the shipbuilding industry when it owns or gains access to a significant part of the construction chain. When a tanker is to be built, there is a need for engines with a power of 17,000 to 18,000 horsepower; such engines cannot be imported into the country, and their production for a limited run is not economically justified,” Khorassanchi said.

According to him, there are only two to three companies in the world that produce this type of engine.

In relevant remarks in 2024, Deputy Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group (IRISL) Abdolreza Mohebbi said that 85% of the needs of the country’s ship-building industry were provided by the Iranian experts and companies.

“Today, over 85% of the Iranian ship industry’s needs have been domestically met which means saving at least 350 million dollars, and the development of the rail fleet requires investment, expertise and strengthening of domestic manufacturers,” said Mohebbi.

“Iran has 8,000 kilometers of water and land borders with 14 countries, 40% of which are water, river and sea borders, and this shows the importance of the sea in different dimensions,” he added.

“For the first time in the country's history, 12 ships are being built by the IRISL, four of which in Amirabad region,” Mohebbi said, adding that the presence of foreigners in Iran’s shipping industry has reached zero since three years ago.

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