Two nuclear reactors being built at Iran's Bushehr power plant
3 Min Read
The construction of power units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant is the largest joint Russian-Iranian project.
-
A view of the Bushehr main nuclear reactor in Tehran, August 21, 2010 (Reuters)
The governor of the southern Bushehr province in Iran, Ahmad Mohammadizadeh, confirmed on Thursday that two nuclear reactors were being constructed at the Bushehr power plant.
As quoted by ISNA news agency, Mohammadizadeh said that "Two new power units are being built at the nuclear power station," adding that the first reactor was built with aid from Russian nuclear authority Rosatom and was connected to the electric grid back in 2011.
Read next: Iran, IAEA to resume nuclear cooperation
The second reactor began construction in 2019, and two years later, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami, relayed that Iran, in cooperation with Russia, was laying the foundation for plans to build a third reactor.
Iran’s only running reactor with nuclear fuel is functioning with Russian-supplied nuclear fuel. Russia had helped Iran build the Bushehr power plant, which was equipped with a 1,000 MW.
The construction of power units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant is the largest joint Russian-Iranian project.
Last month, Eslami revealed during an interview with Sputnik that around 150 nuclear projects were under development, stating that over "150 scientific, innovative, technological, creative, research and industrial projects have been registered in all sectors of the nuclear industry as accomplishments".
Also, Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi expressed Iran’s interest in developing energy cooperation with Russia, including developing peaceful nuclear and renewable new types of energy.
Read more: Iran calls G7 nuclear arms allegations 'baseless and interventionist'
Since December, another nuclear power plant, Karun, has also been under construction in Iran. The plant is located in the Darkhoveyn district near Shadegan County, Khuzestan Province, and is estimated to take 8 years to come to life. Domestic experts designed it, and it will be furnished using locally-made technologies. Iranian companies and potentials will be manufacturing the plant's fixed equipment and designing and producing its coolant pumps.
However, according to Axios earlier this month, the Biden administration is exploring a stopgap agreement with Iran that would offer the Islamic Republic some sanction relief in exchange for Tehran freezing parts of its nuclear program which involves halting its uranium enrichment at 60%, well below the 90% enrichment required of weapons-grade uranium necessary for nuclear weapons.
