Construction of a 35,000-ton dock has started following the completion of a 12,000-ton dock on Kish Island, managing director of Kish Free Zone Organization announced Tuesday.
After the implementation of the dredging operation, covering a total area of 670,000 cubic meters, the depth of the port is increased from -5 to -10.5 meters. Consequently, the amount of annual cargo discharge at Kish port has increased from two million tons to six million, ILNA reported.
In line with the government's plan to transform the region into an energy hub, work has commenced on construction of a new harbor, Alireza Mounesan said on the sidelines of the 11th Kish International Energy Exhibition. Dredging operation will be carried out at a depth of -13 meters.
"We try our best to make the island a center for professional energy discussions and joi\nt ventures between Iran and other countries," Mounesan said, also referring to special legislations and incentives to attract foreign energy firms to invest in Kish projects.
The 11th Kish International Energy Exhibition was inaugurated on Monday on the Persian Gulf island, with 200 national and international companies attending. This year's event focuses on investments in the energy sector and also on identifying the industry's potentials. Future investment opportunities in oil, gas, petrochemical, water, electricity, and renewable energy projects are top on the event's agenda, together with achievements of the domestic manufacturers in the related industries.
The presence of large international oil and gas companies to support South Pars and Assalouyeh activities has created the background for establishment of an oil exchange market in Kish.
The government plans to turn Kish Free Zone into a regional oil business hub. The island has a surface area of 90 square kilometers, with an outer boundary of 40 km. It is located in the Persian Gulf 19 km from mainland Iran.
No entry visa requirement, 20-year tax exemption for any kind of economic activity, 100 percent foreign ownership, flexible monetary and banking services, oil & petrochemical bourse, exemption from customs duty on imported raw materials and machineries for the manufacturing units, simple procedure for re-export and transit of goods, and proximity to the Assaluyeh oil-rich region are among the advantages the Kish Free Zone offers.
