Iran’s energy minister said the country had exported an advanced gas turbine to Russia for the first time, calling it a major achievement for the domestic power industry despite international sanctions.“We were able, for the first time, to export an advanced gas turbine as a sophisticated Iranian-made equipment in the power industry to Russia,” Minister Abbas Aliabadi said at the national event of exporters of technical and engineering services, goods, and knowledge-based enterprises in the water and power industry on Tuesday, IRNA reported.He added that Tehran had also sold generators and other electrical equipment to Moscow and had successfully repaired aircraft engines.Aliabadi said exports were only valuable when combined with knowledge-based production that created added value. “For years we exported minerals and raw materials, but exports are honorable only when they are value-creating and generate added value,” he noted.Power plants in Iraq, SyriaThe minister also highlighted Iran’s track record in overseas energy initiatives, citing the construction of multiple power plants in Iraq and Syria, as well as the deployment of Iranian experts to conduct critical repair operations in Syria. The electricity sector had even managed to provide financing for some overseas projects, according to Aliabadi.For Iran’s power industry to succeed in global markets, he noted, the entire export chain must work together. “Today, exports are not an option but a national strategy, and in this regard, the Ministry of Energy emphasizes facilitating the export of technical and engineering services and water and electricity industry goods,” he said.He urged stronger cooperation among Iranian companies to gain a more powerful entry into international markets. But he also lamented that in one case, political interference had blocked an Iranian bid for a project abroad, despite what he said were better quality and lower prices.The Minister stressed the need for using international funding by the banking system with the aim of providing financial support to Iranian companies exporting technical and engineering services.Aliabadi also said the global industrial landscape was changing rapidly. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is ending and the world will soon reach the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Therefore, we should not remain in the past but move smartly toward the future and pursue intelligent policymaking and simplified export regulations,” he said. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: IRAN DAILY