Iran Pours Concrete To Launch Its Second Nuclear Power Plant

Nov. 10, (EIRNS)—Iran started pouring concrete Nov. 10 at the site of its second nuclear power plant, at the southern port city of Bushehr. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), and Alexander Lokshin, first deputy director of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom, were there to celebrate and inaugurate the next phase of Iran’s nuclear development.

Even as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in which six nations was to supervise that phase of Iran’s nuclear program that has military applications, is no longer fully functional, Iran’s civilian nuclear power program is going forward. AEOI’s Salehi explained the benefit at the ceremony, “nuclear power provides reliable electricity ... and each power plant saves us 11 million barrels of oil or $660 million per year.”

A reactor was supposed to be built at Bushehr by a German contractor, which abandoned the project following Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Russia committed to finish the reactor in 1995, and in September 2011, a 1,000 MW reactor came online. This second reactor, whose construction was begun today, is also 1,000 MW, and a third reactor of the same power is also scheduled to be built at Bushehr. Salehi stated, “In a long-term vision, until 2027-2028, when these projects are finished, we will have 3,000 MW of nuclear power-plant generated electricity.” Russia also supplied the nuclear fuel for the plant.

Rosatom’s building of nuclear power plants seems to play an important role in the peace process. In May 2010, Russia and Turkey signed an agreement for Rosatom to build, own, and operate a power plant at Akkuyu comprising four 1,200 MWe 1200 units. Construction of the first reactor has commenced in April 2018. Russia, Iran and Turkey are the guarantors of the Syrian peace process, known as the Astana process, in operation since the ceasefire in December 2016.