(Tehran) Iran announced on Sunday the signing of a contract with Russia for the supply of “40 turbines” intended to help the gas industry of this country hit by Western sanctions due to the invasion of the Ukraine, according to local media.
Posted at 4:52 p.m.
“Iran’s industrial successes” “are not limited to the field of missiles and drones”, said the general manager of the Iranian gas company (Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company), Reza Noushadi, quoted by the agency. Ministry of Petroleum press officer, Shana.
“Currently, 85% of the installations and equipment needed by the gas industry are manufactured inside the country and taking this capacity into account, a contract was recently signed to export 40 Iranian-made turbines to Russia” , said the official.
He did not specify when the contract was signed or when the turbines are expected to be delivered.
Following the sanctions decided by the West after the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia reduced or interrupted its deliveries to several European countries, causing a surge in energy prices.
The Kremlin says the sanctions have prevented maintenance of Russia’s gas infrastructure, in particular blocking the return of a Siemens turbine sent to Canada for repairs.
Westerners have accused Russia of using gas deliveries as a “weapon”.
According to Mr. Noushadi, the American sanctions against Russia are intended to exclude Moscow from the gas market and to eliminate “one of the biggest competitors” of the United States on this market.
Russia and Iran, which are home to some of the largest gas reserves in the world, are both subject to tough US sanctions. The two countries have stressed in recent months the importance of increasing their cooperation.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in mid-September that cooperation between the two countries would make them “stronger”.
The Russian president visited Tehran in July where he met President Raissi and the Supreme Leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who also called for stronger “long-term cooperation” with Moscow .
Tehran recently denied supplying Russia with weapons used for the offensive in Ukraine, in response to accusations from Kyiv and its Western allies that Moscow is using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine.