From November 5th to November 8th, Tehran was host to hundreds of power companies who participated in the sixteenth edition of Iran International Electricity Exhibition (IEE).
Nearly 650 Iranian and international corporations active in the power industry gathered in the leafy grounds of International Exhibition Center in north of the capital, to establish a foothold for themselves in Iran’s booming power market.
MAPNA booth in the Persian Gulf Hall was bustling as usual, with experts, representatives and officials frequenting the stand to discover the group’s latest plans, put forward their proposals, and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
“We believe that as the leading actor in Iran’s power sector, we should have a strong presence in power exhibitions” says Mahdi Abhari, Marketing & Customer Relation Manager in MAPNA Power Division. “After all, we are engaged in a diverse range of activities in the power industry which we need to present to our general and specific clients.”
Besides the high turnout of visitors, an average of ten-thousands per day according to coordinators of the event, a surge of foreign companies was visible in this year’s expo, from 200 last year to 307 in this edition. With ease of sanctions following the July 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers, international companies have been eager to return to an eighty-million strong market that enjoys rich resources, skilled workforce, and robust infrastructure.
When it comes to partnerships and joint ventures, MAPNA is the go-to company in Iran’s power sector. Siemens, one of the first international companies to return to the Iranian market has already signed agreement with MAPNA for technology transfer of F-class turbines and diesel-electric passenger locomotive, along with a MoU for development of a roadmap for modernization of Iran’s power system.
“MAPNA is a credible brand among international companies active in the power sector” says Mahdi Abhari. “The high standards of MAPNA provides assurance to international companies to sign contracts with us.”
Minister of Power Hamid Chitchian, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, Foreign Minister of Togo Robert Dussey and Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan Usmonali Uzmonzoda were among officials who paid a visit to MAPNA booth. Officials from Armenian Ministry of Energy and Power Resources also held meeting with MAPNA managers to discuss plans for installation of a 50-MW wind farm in the Caucasian republic by the Iranian company. Following the Paris climate deal between world leaders, aimed to curb emission of greenhouse gases, power generation through renewable energies has become a priority for MAPNA, reminds Mahdi Abhari, Marketing & Customer Relation Manager in MAPNA Power Division.
In his keynote speech during the opening ceremony, Minister of Power Hamid Chitchian addressed the new international atmosphere after the 2015 agreement between Iran and global powers, calling it conducive to stronger partnership between Iranian and international companies and expansion of Iran’s export market in the power sector. “Many Iranian companies have managed to create favorable markets for themselves at the international level through partnership with international companies and formation of joint ventures” he said. Pointing to 37 thousand megawatts of power projects defined by the ministry for independent power producers and private companies, Chitchian hoped that joint financing by domestic and international resources speeds up the projects.
The four-day event ended on the evening of November 8, 2016 and MAPNA received the national award as top domestic exporter, an acknowledgement of its ongoing power projects in the region. With Iranian power sector’s need for 25 billion dollars of investment by 2021, the prospect of the power industry is more promising than ever. But Iran is not to turn into an absolute consumer of international companies, officials have frequently emphasized. As Hooshang Falahatian, Deputy Minister in Electricity and Energy Affairs, said during the closing ceremony of the exhibition, “Iran is seeking technology transfer and partnership between domestic and international companies to increase its export power.”
