TEHRAN – The government has developed more than 170 trillion rials ($340 million) worth of new infrastructure in industrial parks across 31 provinces over the past year, the head of the Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) said.

Reza Ansari, who also serves as deputy industry minister, announced the investment during a ceremony marking the inauguration of 588 new factories and the revival of 134 idle units in industrial estates nationwide for Government Week.

He said energy shortages remain the most pressing challenge for industrial zones.

“In some provinces, industrial parks face power outages for up to three days a week. This severely increases production costs, adding pressure on both workers and manufacturers,” Ansari told reporters. He said industrial parks consume around 4,000 megawatts of electricity and called for the Energy Ministry to reconsider power cut policies affecting these hubs.

To mitigate shortages, ISIPO has facilitated renewable energy projects, securing over 600 permits from the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA). About 60 megawatts of solar power capacity has already been installed on rooftops and within industrial zones, Ansari said.

He criticized fuel supply disruptions for diesel generators, adding that many industrialists are forced to purchase fuel on the black market. “Industry is being treated unfairly. To keep production lines running, manufacturers are buying diesel at 15,000 to 20,000 tomans per liter, compared with the official rate of 300 tomans,” he said.

A recent survey in the Shamsabad Industrial Park found the average fuel cost for a single unit at over 70,000 rials per liter ($0.7), most of which benefits middlemen and smugglers. Ansari said the issue is not a shortage of diesel but poor policymaking and mismanagement in distribution. He urged coordinated action between the Oil Ministry and industrial authorities to resolve the crisis.

EF/