Page 46 - IRANRptJul18

9.2.5 Tourism corporate news
On May 28, Dutch-based Booking.com was reported to be halting its operations in Iran due to the impending US sanctions. The move was disclosed by the Hoteliers Association of Iran. The company was represented by its Middle East subsidiary at the 2017 Iran Tourism Fair in Tehran and as of January 2018 said it would accept local payments in rials. Hoteliers Association of Iran director Jamshid Hamzezadeh said that given the relatively low number of Iran hotel bookings carried out on Booking.com, the company’s withdrawal will not have a considerable impact on the country’s tourism industry or on the number of foreign tourists visiting Iran.
As things stand, no foreign company will be able work with Iranian hotels, leaving only a handful of local operators who have foreign subsidiaries to address the required work.
9.2.6 Renewable energy corporate news
Pars Reys Energy Bahar (PREB), a subsidiary of French energy firm Hanau Energies Group, has announced the completion of an 8.5 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant located 130 kilometres outside Tehran PV Magazine reported on May 23.
Iran has seen a spate of new solar plant openings over the past 12 months, with several more in the pipeline. The joint Iranian-French project follows in the footsteps of a project from Italy’s Carlo Maresca , now the leading European solar company active in Iran. It has one plant running and a second under construction. However, the threat posed by upcoming US sanctions in relation to Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal can not be taken lightly. Among big deals at risk are an agreement for the construction of solar power plants in Iran by Norway's Saga Energy worth $3bn.
Hanau has said it is not pulling out of Iran in spite of the threat of future US sanctions aimed at foreign companies that stay in business with Iran.
“The Iranian state is aware of the potential of renewable energies in the country’s economic development, and that includes photovoltaic energy.” He said the company had trained local engineers in solar power technology. The French-Iranian project follows that of Phelan Energy Group from South Africa . It has built a 10 MW solar plant in the small city of Khusf in Iran’s South Khorasan province, SHANA news agency reported on April 24.
According to Mohammad Shafiei, governor of Khusf, the government has offered a 13-year tax exemption for renewables, making the prospect of opening a plant in Iran a viable alternative to a more traditional oil and gas investment.
Iran currently draws roughly 53 MW of power from solar generation, energy ministry data shows. It is attempting to add 932 MW in the next few years thanks to deals signed already.
46 IRAN Country Report July 2018 www.intellinews.com