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Tehran to construct new nuclear power plants

14 January 2015 12:43 (UTC+04:00)
Tehran to construct new nuclear power plants

By Sara Rajabova

Iran, which is in tense relations with the West over its nuclear energy program, has decided to build two more nuclear plants.

Visiting Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in thecountry’s southern city of Bushehr on January 13,Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the country is set to build two more nuclear plants for the use of peaceful nuclear energy, Press TV reported.

The 1000-MW Bushehr is Iran's only nuclear electricity plant launched by Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy in early 2009 experimentally. It was connected to the national power grid in 2011.

After reviewing the activities of the Bushehr NPP, Rouhani said: “The plant is different from the power plants of other countries since this power plant is the symbol of thenation’s resistance.”

He noted that the plant is an example that shows Iran “is only after peaceful use of nuclear energy and electricity production.”

Rouhani visited various departments of the plant, and got briefed on the plant’s activities by its officials.

Construction of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr was started in 1974 by the German Kraftwerk Union AG (Siemens / KWU) concern but it was ceased during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In August 1992, an agreement was signed between the governments of Russia and Iran on the construction of a nuclear power plant, and in January 1995 a contract was signed to complete the construction of the first power unit of the plant.

The first phase of the Bushehr nuclear plant construction began under the control of the IAEA on August 21, 2010, with the delivery of the nuclear fuel to the reactor compartment station.

Iran officially took over the first unit of the plant from Russia for two years in September 2013, the final acceptance and submission of the industrial operation is scheduled for 2015.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization earlier said Iranneeds 20 new nuclear power plants like the Bushehr plant.

Russia and Iran signed a contract in Moscow last November to construct two new power units at Bushehr nuclear power plant in accordance with Russian technology.

The document envisages the construction of two power units at Bushehr nuclear power plant with the possibility of increasing the number of power units to four.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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