Engineering and Construction

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)

---

“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.)

---

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).

---

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

---

An Iranian website features Wirth tunneling projects in Iran, including the Tabriz Metro Project.  (Iran Project website)
---

Wirth has been involved in completed tunneling projects in Alborz and Ghomrud (World Tunnelling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march,” December 23, 2009). 

“The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is a multi-industry, capital goods manufacturer with over 100 manufacturing and service facilities in 27 countries. It is recognized as one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. Manitowoc also is one of the world's leading innovators and manufacturers of commercial foodservice equipment serving the ice, beverage, refrigeration, food prep, and cooking needs of restaurants, convenience stores, hotels, institutions, and healthcare facilities” (The Wall Street Journal, "The Manitowoc Company to Participate in J.P. Morgan Diversified Industries Conference,"June 1 2010).

---

The company also describes itself as "a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the U.S. maritime industry" (Company website).

---

Convotherm, a foodservice manufacturer and subsidiary of Manitowac, lists a contact person for sales in Iran on its website. (Subsidiary website)

---

Scotsman Ice, a leading global ice manufacturer, is a subsidiary of Enodis, a foodmaking equipment company and subsidiary of the Manitowoc Company.  On the company’s website, Scotsman lists three distributors in Tehran. (Subsidiary website)

---

Bio Enzyme Persia, an authorized distributor of medical and laboratory equipment in Tehran, features the Scotsman logo on its website. (Iranian Dealer website)

---

In a 2002 press release, Manitowoc stated its plan to create a customer focused sales area in the Middle East, including Iran in the list of countries: “The Middle East (Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, as well as Turkey for tower cranes), which will be managed, by David Semple for the tower crane line and by Hamid Summers for both mobile and crawler cranes, from Dubai” (Manitowoc Press Release, "Manitowoc Crane Group announces new organization structure for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region," February 28, 2002).

---

Manitowoc Crane Group followed up its announced sales plan for the Middle East market with a regional distributors' conference in 2005. "Manitowoc Crane Group staged its first Middle East regional distributors’ conference in November 2005, at the Oasis Beach Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event was an opportunity for Manitowoc Crane Group to meet with its local Grove dealers and discuss the fast-growing Middle East market.

"The conference included representatives from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Oman, Qatar, and Iraq with companies such as Kanoo Machinery, Equipment Company, Orascom Trading, ETCO, Tolitech, Arabian Crane Services, Mannai Trading, and Boranex all sending delegates" (Manitowoc Crane Group News Release, "Middle East Meeting for Grove Dealers," January 6, 2006).

---

One of the companies represented at the conference, Toli Tech, is an Iranian construction company with an office in Tehran (Iranian Company Information).

"With a proven track record of successfully rehabilitated roads completed to date, Martec’s AR2000 delivered millions of square meters of the regenerated pavements on four continents, in such diverse countries as Canada, China, Costa Rica, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the United States." (Company Website)

--

Petropars, the Iranian company and wholly owned subsidiary of NICO (an affiliate of the NIOC), lists the domestic and foreign companies that are developing the different phases of the South Pars Gas Field Project.  One of the Iranian companies, Abad Rahan Pars Co., developing the south pars phases 6,7, & 8, lists their resources, and the companies providing these resources.  Martec is one of these dealers. (Abad Rahan Pars Co. Resources)

--

In 2008, Lloyd's Register America, Inc. acquired Martec.  (Martec Press Release)

"Grundfos and Abtin get busy in Iran - Grundfos and local partner Abtin have been working together throughout December and January organize the first evet training to build relationships with installers and dealers in Tehran the capital city with more than 14 million inhabitants and Northern Iran, the country’s biggest market for domestic building services products" (January 2018)

--

Grundfos' Iranian office (Company Website - Iran)

"Foster Wheeler, an engineering and construction firm that provides services to the oil and gas industry, did business in Iran until 2006, when it told the Securities and Exchange Commission it was withdrawing. It used to be a United States-based company, but moved in 2001 to Bermuda, which allowed it to avoid United States corporate income taxes, and has since moved again to Switzerland."

While the company was performing business in Iran from 2000 to 2006, Foster Wheeler was the recipient of $199 million in U.S. federal funds. (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the U.S.", 3/6/10)

--

The company is listed as subcontractor for the South Pars Field Phase 6.7. & 8 (Petropars website)

--

"According to "Tehran Times", U.S.-based engineer Foster Wheeler is optimistic about business prospects in Iran, according to its executive president Gianni Bachiddu. According to Middle East Economic Digest (MEED), he said there was a "tremendous amount" of engineering and project management consultants coming from both the National Iranian Oil…" (IPR Strategic Business Information Database, "US's Foster Wheeler Optimistic over Iran's Prospects", 3/20/2002)

In 2011 three Seli executives co-authored an article for the 9th Iranian Tunneling Conference discussing progress on Seli's excavations for Tehran Metro Line 7.  (Civilica, "Tehran Metro Line 7 South-North Section EPB TBM Tunneling in a Highly Congested Area of the City: Productions, Settlements Control, and Logistics Problems, 2011)

---

“A spokesman for Seli told me last week that the construction equipment firm was working on several Iranian tunnel projects worth more than €220 million, including for the Tehran metro and water tunnels in Nosud and Kerman. The company's Web site says that one of the contracts it just recently finished involved the sale of equipment and technical assistance to the Iranian company Ghaem—a Revolutionary Guard firm, according to the U.S. Treasury.

The technical know-how and machinery to build tunnels is of course crucial for the regime's efforts to hide its nuclear installations.

When asked about his Iran business, the president of Seli, Remo Grandori, told me Wednesday ‘our machines and expertise are not used for military purposes, or we couldn't have received the authorization of Italian Foreign Ministry." When I pressed harder, he acknowledged that Seli "tunnels are like large mines. Iran can certainly use these tunnels to hide weapons, but I don't know anything about it.’” (The Wall Street Journal, “The Rome-Tehran Axis,” 1/14/10)

---

“Two European concerns—Wirth, from Germany, and Seli, from Italy—sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for its Ghomroud water project.

Seli, for its part, sold its tunnel-making goods to an Iranian company called Ghaem. This sale, too, was found to be exempt from any restrictions or embargoes. But the U.S. Treasury has designated Ghaem as yet another subsidiary of the IRGC. Seli, in the meantime, is also involved in other important projects in Iran, among them the much larger Kerman water-tunnel project. That deal, worth 134.6 million euros over five years, was signed in 2004—with the active involvement of Sahel Consulting Engineers.

Unquestionably, the equipment has been used to dig water tunnels at Ghomroud and Kerman. Once the digging is finished, though, the equipment be- longs to the subsidiary businesses of the IRGC, which can do with them what they wish.

Intelligence photographs have regularly indicated that much of Iran’s clandestine nuclear program is being built deep underground, in bunkers accessible by means of tunnels. The machinery and technology for constructing such tunnels can only have been provided by Wirth and Seli.” (Commentary Magazine, “The Iranian Shell Game,” July-August 2008) 

 ---

“Seli – an Italian company in the same line of business – also provided machinery and technicians for the previous phase of the same tunnel project – which was done through a consortium of which Wirth was a partner. The deal, worth 8.5 million Euro, was completed in 2005. The client was Ghaem, another IRGC subsidiary. The deal was similarly not subject to any restrictions or embargoes.

Another, much bigger contract is the Kerman Water Tunnel Project, a five-year deal worth 134.6 million Euro signed in 2004 with the active involvement, again, of Sahel Consulting Engineers. Italian and German tunneling equipment was thus sold to the IRGC and made available, once the water tunnel was completed, for other projects the IRGC may wish to undertake. Intelligence reports have repeatedly suggested that much of Iran’s clandestine nuclear program is being built deep underground, in bunkers that are accessible through tunnels – tunnels which only technology such as the one provided by Wirth and Seli can build.” (Transatlantic Institute, “Iran's Deceptive Commercial Practices,” 15/4/08)  

--

  “The site assembly of the TBM and back-up for the hydraulic tunnel of Dasht E Zahab in Iran has starter this month.  The DSU type TBM has been manufactured by Herrenchnecht on SELI Divisione Tecnologie specifications and basic design.” (Seli News List, “Iran: Dasht & Zahab - Backup for TBM HK,” 1/12/05)

• Wirth GMBH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aker Solutions, a Norwegian engineering and construction company.  The acquisition occurred in March 2009.

• Wirth has a website for its subsidiary in Iran. (Company Website)

• “Be it…a water-supply system in Iran – as an employee of Aker Wirth, you will be there as progressive technology is created and put to use in the field. And the fields of activity open to you at Aker Wirth are as diverse as our technologies and work sites.” (Aker-Wirth website)

• “German producer of tunnel boring machinery – proudly boasts on its website that ‘… a new water supply system is created in the Iranian mountains of Isfahan, Wirth machines are used.’ Indeed they are. The problem is that one of Wirth’s project clients in Iran is Sahel Consulting Engineers – a company owned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Wirth has so far declined to comment on the matter.” (BESA Center for Strategic Studies, “Iran's Deceptive Commercial Practices,” 4/15/08)

• “Two European concerns—Wirth, from Germany, and Seli, from Italy—sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for its Ghomroud water project. Wirth’s contract was concluded after Germany’s export-control agency, BAFA, determined that the machines involved in this project, being intended only for civilian use, were not subject to embargo.
  
  Overseeing the tunnel project, however, was Sahel Consulting Engineers, a company owned by the IRGC. Nor is this connection a secret. The website of Wirth’s subsidiary in Iran features images of the Ghomroud construction site. The sign welcoming visitors to the project bears the logo of the IRGC, and the same logo is visible above the tunnel entrance…
  
  Once the digging is finished, though, the equipment belongs to the subsidiary businesses of the IRGC, which can do with them what they wish.   Intelligence photographs have regularly indicated that much of Iran’s clandestine nuclear program is being built deep underground, in bunkers accessible by means of tunnels. The machinery and technology for constructing such tunnels can only have been provided by Wirth and Seli.” (Commentary Magazine, "The Iranian Shell Game," July-August 2008)

• “Wirth and Seli – German and Italian companies producing sophisticated tunnel-boring machinery – have supplied their machines and technical assistance to IRGC companies, for instance. Their business was not subject to any restrictions or embargoes, yet intelligence reports have repeatedly suggested that much of Iran’s clandestine nuclear program is being built deep underground, in bunkers that are accessible through tunnels – tunnels which only such technology could build.” (Transatlantic Institute, "Iran's Deceptive Ways," May 2008) 

Lovat, a manufacturer of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar acquired in April 2008. (AP, “Caterpillar acquires tunnel boring company,” 4/2/08)

--

Iran has been constructed tunnels to obscure and shield its nuclear program. (The New York Times, “Iran Shielding Its Nuclear Efforts in Maze of Tunnels,” 1/6/10)

Lovat’s business in Iran:

•  On its full worldwide contacts list, Lovat lists Mr. Amir Kheradmand of the Tehran-based “Tunnel Boresh Machine” as its main Iran contact. (Company Website) 
• Lovat’s website lists a completed drainage project in Tehran in its “Project section.” The project used a Lovat tunnel-boring machine. (Company Website) 
• The December 2009 article World Tunnelling magazine lists two recently completed Lovat tunneling projects for surface water collection in Khayyam and Bahmanyar. Lovat used the same tunnel-boring machine for both projects. (World Tunnelling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march,” 12/23/09)

·        

AtomStroyExport, subsidiary of Rosatom, and Nuclear Power Production and Development Company of Iran signed an EPC turnkey contract for construction of the units in Bushehr in November 2014. In March 2017 a ceremony to launch construction work was attended by NPDD and ASE.

--

Atomstroyexport, called "Russia's main nuclear exporter," is under German investigation for possibly breaking European rules by transporting Iran-bound shipments through Europe: “The formal investigation into Russia's activities by Frankfurt prosecutors…provides a window into the extent of the ongoing nuclear traffic with Iran, as well as the international tug of war over how much of it to stop."

“Frankfurt prosecutors say they launched their investigations after customs officials seized air-freight cargo en route from Moscow to Tehran that they determined contained monitoring equipment bound for the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which has been haltingly under construction since the 1970s. The EU argues that helping even the civilian side of Iran's nuclear program serves to strengthen the full nuclear program, so it prohibits dealings with Bushehr...The prosecutors are examining the alleged role in transporting nuclear-related supplies through Europe by workers of the three airlines, and of employees of the alleged source of the cargo—JSC AtomStroyExport, the export arm of Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry.

AtomStroyExport has been helping Iran at Bushehr since signing a $1 billion contract in 1995, the Russian firm's website says. Russia recently committed to opening the plant by August."

"Both Russia and Iran say AtomStroyExport's participation in the construction of the Bushehr plant is legal. An AtomStroyExport spokeswoman said none of its shipments were affected by sanctions, stopped by German investigators or addressed to Iran's atomic agency."

"A European intelligence official said he believed the shipments seized in Europe represent the "tip of the iceberg" of Russian shipments to Iran" (The Wall Street Journal, "Germany Probes Russian Shipments to Iran." 6/12/10).

--

"Atomstroyexport JSC continues construction of Bushehr NPP, which was begun in 1974 by German concern Kraftwerk Union A.G. (Siemens/KWU). In 1980 the concern terminated the contract with the Iranian customer because of the decision of the German government to join the American embargo on the equipment supplies to Iran.

On August 24th, 1992 the Cooperation Agreement in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy was signed between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and on August 25th, 1992 the Agreement was concluded on construction of the NPP in Iran. In January, 1995 the contract was signed for completion of construction of power unit No.1 of Bushehr NPP, and in 1998 Supplement No.1 to the above contract was signed according to which Atomstroyexport was assigned with management of the construction completion. Actually the countdown of construction of Bushehr NPP by the Russian party began in1998." (Company Website)

--

"On February 25, 2009 Head of SC Rosatom, Mr. Sergey Kirienko, and President of Atomstroyexport JSC, Mr. Dan Belenkiy, made a working visit to the Site of Bushehr NPP being constructed on a “turnkey” basis by Atomstroyexport JSC. Loading of dummy fuel assemblies in the reactor of Unit No. 1 started during the visit." (Company Website)

"The technology group Wärtsilä will supply engineering and equipment deliveries for two baseload power plants to Iranian energy companies Baran Niroo Beshel Co. and Tamin Niroo Saam Co. This is a breakthrough project as Wärtsilä is supplying the first decentralised power plants of its kind to Iran, showing results from our efforts to support the Iranian power generation market in its transition towards more flexible and smarter technologies." (July 2017)
 

--

"Wärtsilä and Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO), the largest industrial corporation in Iran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 29th. The MoU was signed in connection to the President of Finland Mr. Sauli Niinistö’s recent visit to Iran. With this agreement, both parties agree to cooperate on the development of decentralized power generation in Iran, including power plant operations and maintenance services and related liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure. Wärtsilä will provide relevant expertise and resources to support IDRO in its objective to improve the infrastructure and develop the Iranian industry. In a second phase this cooperation will be extended to the marine sector and the Iranian shipping industry... “With this agreement, Wärtsilä is showing its commitment to support the development of the Iranian industry and power generation sector, on the basis of a mutually beneficial relationship,” says Javier Cavada, President of Wärtsilä Energy Solutions." (Wärtsilä Website, "Wärtsilä and IDRO sign cooperation agreement to develop power generation in Iran | Wärtsilä Website" 11/14/2016).

--

"UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran, a US-based organisation that seeks to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapons capability) has called on Wärtsilä to end its, according to UANI, 'irresponsible' business activities. UANI says that Wärtsilä, through its agents and licensees, provides technology and marine diesel engines to Chinese shipbuilders that are currently building oil tankers for the Iranian regime. It says that: 'Wärtsilä’s activities are of particular concern given that the international community is attempting to isolate Iran via its shipping industry, and new tankers greatly assist the regime in attempting to overcome such efforts.' In a letter to Wärtsilä President & CEO, Björn Rosengren, UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, wrote: 'Earlier this year, UANI launched its Shipping Campaign to compel international shippers, classification societies, P&I clubs and governments worldwide to cease their [Iran] business…In response to UANI’s campaign, members of the International Association of Classification Societies…ceased their classification of Iranian vessels... For example, Wärtsilä has reportedly supplied engines for IRISL vessels, and stated that it maintains an agent in Iran to handle future business with power plant and shipbuilding clients.' The letter mentions Wärtsilä’s involvement in 12 VLCCs being built in China for NITC. It says: 'Put simply, Wärtsilä is assisting the Iranian regime’s development of its most lucrative economic sector, the revenues from which go directly to fund the regime’s nefarious activities, including its nuclear program. In addition, Wärtsilä’s business in Iran includes a partnership with the Iran Heavy Diesel Engine Mfg Co... Wärtsilä’s apparent partnership with DESA is clearly unacceptable.' Wärtsilä has been requested to reply to the letter by 21 December, making its intentions clear with respect to its dealings with Iran." (The Motorship, "Wärtsilä under fire in US over Iran links," 12/19/2012) 

--

"Wartsila Corporation, a Finnish manufacturer of ship engines, has built power plants in Iran and in 2002 supplied engines for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL) container ships. IRISL is a state-owned shipping company which was later blacklisted by the United States for facilitating the transfer of military cargo to Iran. Wartsila also has received federal contracts to provide, among others, engine parts to the Coast Guard. A Wartsila spokesman,  Atte Palomaki, said that the company operates in full compliance with sanctions, as it did when it supplied engines to a German shipyard building IRISL ships. "At that time IRISL was not on any blacklist," he said, adding that since then  the company has not supplied IRISL with any engines, nor would it because of the blacklisting. He said the company does have an agent in Iran who is paid on a commission basis to service other power plant and shipbuilding customers, but characterized the company's sales efforts there as a "minor activity." As the United States lobbies for tough new sanctions, Mr. Palomaki said Wartsila is keeping a watchful eye on the situation and its business in Iran: "We have concerns in the sense that the U.S. Navy is an important customer for us," he said. "We want to be very careful."

From 2000-2009, the company was the recipient of $95.4 million US federal funds.  Their business in Iran is currently active.  (The New York Times, "Profiting from Iran, and the US", 3/6/2010)

--

The enormous New York State Common Retirement Fund plans to divest $86.2 million in investments from nine companies doing business in Sudan and Iran...The decision comes after two years of reviewing these companies, the potential risk of the investments and, in some cases, humanitarian efforts in these countries."We don't expect our investments to benefit regimes that support genocide and terrorism," said DiNapoli. The fund plans to divest out of $86 million in Gazprom (OGZPY), Inpex (1605.TO), Lukoil (LUKOY), Oil And Natural Gas Corp (500312.BY), OMV (OMVKY), Petroleo Brasilia (PBR), Statoil (STO), Wartsila OYJ and Sinopec Corp. DiNapoli said the firms were chosen because "they failed to respond or we were not satisfied with their responses" when asked to provide information to the fund on the investments and their risks. (Wall Street Journal, "NY Comptroller To Divest $86.2M In State Pension Fund Investments," 6/30/09)