Tunneling

"Khuzestan Governorate General signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on petrochemical investment in the city of Izeh with Turkey's Gamma Company on Monday." (March 13, 2018)

Worked on multiple projects related to the construction of tunnels in Iran between 2003 and 2016." (“Interactive Map – CBE Group Projects,” CBE Group, accessed August 8, 2018.)

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Listed as  a French member of the Franco-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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"CBE Group recently signed new contracts with a total volume of 256 moulds for tunnelling projects in Saudi Arabia, China, Mexico, India, Hong Kong, Iran and Singapore. These new projects underline once again CBE's commitment to be the world leading manufacturer of segment moulds and precast factories...Another water scheme, the Kani Sib Water Tunnel in Iran will be supplied by CBE with seven sets of moulds and a stationary precast plant. This project will be realised by Petro Omran in the Iranian province of Kurdistan and the concrete rings will have an impressive exterior diameter of 6000 mm, a thickness of 250 mm and a width of 1500 mm. Composition per concrete ring will be of three standard, two counter-key and one key-stone." (CBE News, "CBE Project Update 2014," 6/6/2014)

"The European Union in July imposed unprecedented sanctions against Iran's energy and financial sectors. But despite the crackdown, some European companies continue to sign up for business deals in Iran that may be both directly and indirectly supporting Iran's nuclear-weapons development. Take the example of Ceresola TLS. According to a hard copy of the confirmation of a contract we have obtained, the Swiss firm recently signed an agreement worth over €1 billion with Rahab Engineering Establishment in Tehran. According to the contract, Ceresola has agreed to provide Rahab with tunneling technology to facilitate the construction of a metro line in Iran. But in the past, the regime in Tehran has used similar agreements to help hide its nuclear-weapons program. Although the confirmation order lists the deal as a project for a metro line, obtaining heavy earth-moving equipment and technology is also a top priority for Iran's nuclear program." (Wall Street Journal, "Iran's European Helpers," 9/29/2010)

Hitachi Zosen is a Japanese manufacturing and engineering corporation with product divisions including environmental systems and industrial plants, precision machinery, machinery and process equipment, steel structures and construction machinery, marine and disaster prevention systems. (Company website)

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Hitachi Zosen produces shield tunneling machines in its steel structures and construction machinery division: "We have delivered a number of shield tunneling machines to the United States, China, Korea, Republic of China, Singapore and Thailand including 4 machines for undersea tunnel across the Bosporus straits in Istanbul, Turkey" (Company website).

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A Hitachi Zosen subsidiary lists Iran as a main exporting country for spare parts. (Hitachi-Zosen Plant Techno-Service Corp)

Kawasaki Precision Machinery, a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, lists Hydraulik Karan as their Iranian distributor.

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“Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of transportation equipment and industrial goods primarily in Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia” (Bloomberg Business Week, “Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012:JP),” 2010).

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“The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group manufactures a vast array of products that demonstrate technological mastery of the land, sea, air and outer space. Its aerospace business offers various products ranging from aircraft to satellites, while the shipbuilding business provides LNG and LPG carriers, submarines and other vessels. Japan's Shinkansen trains and New York City's subway cars are just two examples of its rolling stock business' famed global offerings, just as gas turbines and biomass power plants headline the energy plant and facilities business. The Group also supplies many products that demonstrate its expertise in engineering, such as industrial plants, environmental protection facilities, industrial equipment, construction machinery and steel structures” (Company website).

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Kawasaki lists contact information for Iran distributor Pars Loaders Co. on its website (Company contacts page)

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Kawasaki lists an Iranian distibutor for its motorcycle division, Jaranho Industrial Co. (Company contacts page)

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Website of Kawasaki distributor Jaranho Industrial Co. (Iranian distributor website)

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Kawasaki has collaboration agreements arranged with two other TBM producers, SELI of Italy and Lovat of Canada, both of which sell TBMs in Iran.
•    Alliance with Lovat, Inc. (Lovat Inc. News Release, "BREAKTHOUGH ALLIANCE: LOVAT & KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES," April 12, 2006.)

•    Collaboration with SELI (Tunnel Talk, "Collaboration for new TBM supplier," April 2010.)

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 Kawasaki has received $182,558,912 in federal funds from the U.S. government between 2000 and July 2010. (USASpending.gov)

According to the company website, "[Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co., Ltd.] was the first heavy machinery manufacturer of the new born People’s Republic of China and extolled as the ‘cradle’ of the machinery industry of China. It is one of the large scale key enterprises of Chinese machinery industry. In 1996, it was reorganized as Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (SHMG). SHMG is made up of 11 enterprises: Shenyang Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.; Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co., Ltd., Import and Export Company; Shenyang Heavy Machinery of Metallurgy and Mining Manufacturing Company; Fuyang Man-made Board Co., Ltd; Shendor Wooden Co., Ltd.; Permanent Stainless Steel Tube Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; etc.. After a few years of system change and assets reorganization, it is changing from a production operation type company to a capital operation type company" (Company Website).

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     Shenyang Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. is a joint venture of Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co., Ltd., China Huarong Asset Management Corporation, Xinda Asset Management Corporation and China Great Wall Asset Management Corporation. It is a legal entity which has autonomy in management and assumes sole responsibility for its profits or losses. It is a subsidiary owned by SHMG. It is a heavy machinery manufacturing enterprise which mainly produces large technological equipment for power plants, metallurgy, steel rolling, forging, mining, cement, man-made board, war industry and environment protection. It has the capability of producing 100,000 tons of steel, 40,000 tons of steel casting, 20,000 tons of forged pieces, 20,000 tons of structural members and 60,000 tons of machinery products" (Company Website).

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“[Northern Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd.] is a large-scale and state-owned company which is incorporated by Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co, Ltd. and Shenyang Mining Machinery Group Co., Ltd" (Company Profile).

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"NHI is a transnational, large-scale backbone enterprise in the field of equipment manufacturing industry of our country. In 2008, NHI becomes one of the top 500 enterprises in both Chinese machinery industry and international machinery industry. NHI is located in Shenyang Economic and Technology Development Zone with total asset value of 12.7 billion yuan, covering an area of 1.3 million m², more than 10800 employees."

"Its main products are tunnel engineering equipment, power equipment, building material equipment, metallurgy equipment, mining equipment, coal machinery, bulk material handling and conveying equipment, environmental protection equipment, forging equipment, construction machinery and transmission machinery, total about 500 types and 7000 models. Some products are exported to more than 80 countries and regions in the world" (Company Profile).

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NHI tunneling projects in Iran, Mashad and Ahvaz metros (Iran Project website).

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In 2007, Northern Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd. (NHI), a Chinese state-owned corporation, “acquired a controlling stake of 70 percent of France's NFM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany's Wirth Group” (Sina English, “China's Northern Heavy Industries acquires controlling stake of France's NFM,”  August 28, 2007).

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NHI-owned NFM Technologies, a mechanical engineering company and leading tunnel-boring machine manufacturer, does business in Iran and has been involved in a number of tunneling projects. NFM is also listed on the IBR.
•    NFM representative in Iran (NFM Company Website)
•    NFM project in Iran, Shiraz Metro Project (Iran Project Website)

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With the acquisition of NFM technologies, NHI specializes in the manufacture of tunnel-boring machines. ("NHI-Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Tunnel Boring Machine Company," Chinese business website) 

Operates as a subsidiary of Northern Heavy Industries Group Co. Ltd. 

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“NFM Technologies SA, a mechanical engineering company, designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies mechanical equipment and systems.”

“The company’s products are used in various applications in defense/aeronautics, nuclear, oil/gas, underground work, heavy industry, and major structures markets in the United States and internationally."

“It operates manufacturing plants in Shenyang and Guangzhou, China; and Le Creusot, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, and Lyon, France. As of May 28, 2007, NFM Technologies SA is a subsidiary of Shenyang Heavy Machinery Group Co., Ltd." (Bloomberg Business Week, “NFM Technologies SA – Private Company Information,” 2010).

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“Ranked amongst the most important tunnel-boring machine manufacturers on the world market, NFM Technologies provides its customers with tunneling machines of 4 to more than 15 metres in diameter, suited to all types of geology, acknowledged for their reliability and robustness” (Company website).

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“In September 2007 state-corporation NHI, Northern Heavy Industry Group, purchased a 70% share of French TBM and nuclear equipment manufacturer NFM. Niko Kleuters, previously with NFM's prior owner, WIRTH of Germany, left WIRTH to retain the remaining 30% share in NFM” (TunnelTalk, “China adds CIFA to its European acquisitions,”  September 2008).

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NFM’s website features a technologies representative in Iran. (Company website)

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An article on Iranian tunneling projects lists NFM’s involvement in the Shiraz and Tabriz subway projects, not completed as of 2009 (World Tunneling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march,” December 23, 2009). 
   
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NFM project in Iran, Shiraz Metro Project (Iran Project website)
 

Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd is a Japanese construction company involved in infrastructure and tunnel construction. (Company website)

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Kumagai machines were involved in the completed Koohrang and Cheshmeh Langan tunneling projects. (World Tunneling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march," December 23, 2009)

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Kumagai has a history in Iran. Kumagai incorporated an Iranian subsidiary in the 1977, and around that time was contracted to build a water supply tunnel in Isfahan, Iran. (KUMAGAI GUMI COMPANY, LTD. Company History)

Previously sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for a water project managed by the IRGC.

Aker Wirth operates in Iran through the WPS Group and previously sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for a water project that was managed by the IRGC. (Commentary Magazine, "The Iranian Shell Game," July, 2008)

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“Aker Wirth GmbH develops, manufactures, and sells drilling equipment and machinery in Germany and internationally. It offers tunnel and foundation boring machines for infrastructure projects; core components and solutions for the oil and natural gas industry; and pumping systems for mining and processing industries. The company’s products include draw works, mud pumps, and rotary tables and swivels; full-face tunnel boring, partial excavation, and slurry transport and processing equipment; onshore and offshore foundation, wind energy, and drill string and cutter equipment; and spare parts. It also offers second hand machinery, as well as provides service contacts. The company was formerly known as WIRTH Maschinen- und Bohrgeräte-Fabrik GmbH and changed its name to Aker Wirth GmbH on June 30, 2009. The company was founded in 1895 and is based in Erkelenz, Germany. As of September 4, 2007, Aker Wirth GmbH is a subsidiary of Aker Solutions ASA” (Bloomberg Business Week, "Aker Wirth GmbH – Private Company Information," 2010.)

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In the business of TBMs, “Aker Wirth manufactures and supplies tunnel boring machines for mechanized tunnel driving for all geological conditions and all environmental requirements. Aker Wirth machines are in use in tunnel boring projects all over the world and for the excavation of a wide variety of tunnels” (Mining Technology, Net Resources International, "Aker Wirth - Tunnel Boring Machines, Raise Boring and Full-Face Shaft Boring Machines," 2010).

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Wirth has an Iran office, WPS Group Ltd. (Iranian Wirth Subsidiary)

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An Iranian website features Wirth tunneling projects in Iran, including the Tabriz Metro Project.  (Iran Project website)
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Wirth has been involved in completed tunneling projects in Alborz and Ghomrud (World Tunnelling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march,” December 23, 2009). 

"Tunnel builder Herrenknecht waived Iran business. We are relinquishing a deal with a contract of around 20 million euros…if the company had made the deal, we would have been exposed to the risk of being blistered.” (8/9/2018)

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Herrenknecht AG is listed as a participant at the 2017 Iran Oil Show that took place in Tehran, Iran.

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On its company website, Herrenknecht lists that it has three offices in Tehran, Iran. (Company Website)

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March 2016, HerrenkenchtHerrenknecht “talked openly about operations and his hope to maintain them despite growing political uncertainty.......  ‘You’ll laugh, but two of our machines have been operating in Tehran for the last 12 years to build a metro system.  The contract dates back to before the sanctions,’ said Martin Herrenkencht.”Herrenknecht.”  (Handelsblatt, “Drilling Down to the Essence,” 3/14/2016). 

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Herrenknecht Chairman Martin Herrenknecht “recently visited Tehran, meeting officials in the energy ministry and sewage department.  Before Western sanctions hit, Herrenknecht, which carries its 72-year-old founder's name, did 10 million to 15 million euros ($11 million-$17 million) of business a year in Iran.).  He said, 'I know what projects are coming and I'mI’m ready to sign when the sanctions are lifted.'"   (Reuters, “German Exporters Eye Lucrative Deals in Post-Sanctions Iran,” 7/5/15).  

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"As the Iran embargo looks likely to be lifted after negotiations between Western countries and Teheran on Iran's nuclear program seem set to achieve a settlement, German firms, in particular, are eager to breathe new life into their traditional business ties with the country. Currently, German exports to Iran amount to about 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) - less than half what they were ten years ago, when sanctions were imposed. According to the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), that figure could easily multiply to a sum in the double-digit billions once sanctions will be lifted. At a conference in Frankfurt organized by the German Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV), about 250 German business leaders explored opportunities likely to open up in Iran in the near future. The one-day event on Tuesday, called 'Doing Business in Iran,' primarily dealt with the Iranian oil and gas industry, but also cast a light on the renewable energy and finance sectors... Martin Herrenknecht, owner of a German tunnel-boring machine manufacturer, expects tough competition from Asian rivals once his company re-enters the Iranian market after sanctions are lifted... In the years before sanctions were imposed on Iran, Herrenknecht's firm sold equipment worth between 10 million euros ($11.5 million) and 15 million euros annually to Iran. He hopes to re-launch his Iranian business fairly quickly as he wants to benefit from Teheran's plans to build a new subway line in the country's capital, as well as a new high-speed train ---connection and improvements to the national water and sewage systems." (DW, "German business looks to post-sanctions Iran boom," 5/19/15)

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"Germany’s multi-billion euro bilateral trade relationship with Iran continues unabated, even as evidence mounts that the Islamic Republic is determined to build a nuclear weapons capability. The Jerusalem Post has obtained an uncensored list from late 2011, showing hundreds of German and Iranian enterprises in a flourishing trade relationship . . . One company named is Baden-Württemberg-based engineering giant Herrenknecht AG, which appears to be delivering heavy tunneling equipment to Iran – some of which is promoted as having the capability of 'drilling down to depths of 6,000 meters.' In response to Post inquiries, an unidentified representative of the company wrote via email on Friday that it has 'comprehensively ensured that Herrenknecht excavation engineering and services solely reach projects which clearly pursue civil applications [metro tunnel construction, sewage pipes and water supply lines]' . . . Though EU sanctions have been in place since 2010 to bar oil and gas technology trade with the Islamic Republic, Herrenknecht participated in Iran’s most important oil trade show in 2012. To participate in the Iran oil show, companies are required to send their registration fees to Bank Mellat – which the EU and US had sanctioned due to its involvement in nuclear proliferation." (Jerusalem Post, "German firms still ship dual-use goods to Iran Jerusalem," 7/9/12)

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Over the past decade, Iran has quietly hidden an increasingly large part of its atomic complex in networks of tunnels and bunkers across the country...

Such tunneling conferences, held regularly in Tehran, draw global manufacturers of tunnel-boring machines — giant devices as big as locomotives that dig quickly through rocky strata...

Many of the companies keep offices in Tehran. Herrenknecht, a German firm considered the market leader, lists three. Engineers say Iran has hundreds of miles of civilian tunneling projects under way, including subways in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz, highway tunnels across the country and water tunnels to irrigate the dry interior. (The New York Times, "Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in a Maze of Tunnels," 1/6/09)