Russia to Build Bushehr-2 Nuclear Power Plant in Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian nuclear experts have presented a project for the new Iranian nuclear power plant Bushehr-2, Russian power engineering company Rosatom's Atomenergomash said on Friday.
Several Russian companies, including OKB Gidropress and Atomstroyexport participated in the seminar which was held in the Iranian capital Tehran. From the Iranian side the event was attended by members of parliament, experts from the department of nuclear power plants, representatives of the supervisory authority, and scientific organizations, RIA Novosti reported.
Earlier it was reported that Russia and Iran planned to sign a contract for the construction of two new units of the Iranian Bushehr NPP before the end of 2014.
The construction of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr was started in 1974 by the German concern Kraftwerk Union AG. In August 1992, the governments of Russia and Iran signed an agreement for the construction of NPP, and in January 1995 signed a contract to complete the construction of the first power station.
Russian Atomstroyexport and its contractors have managed to integrate Russian equipment into the construction, which was established several decades ago by the German Kraftwerk Union UG team, and have also used about 12 thousand tons of German equipment.
The first unit of the plant transferred operations to Iran in September 2013 with the final stage and commercial operations scheduled for 2015.
Earlier this week, a senior Russian energy official said Moscow is prepared to take part in construction of new nuclear power units in Iran.
“We know about Iran’s plans to build another 20 big nuclear power units. Russia is ready to take part,” Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday after the 11th meeting of the Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission.
He noted that Russian and Iranian companies had good cooperation links in the energy sector, Itar Tass reported.
Iran has said it aims to produce 20,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear power.
Iran's only nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which produces 1,000 megawatts, became officially operational and was connected to Iran’s national grid in September 2011.
Last December, President Rouhani said that the construction of the second nuclear plant in Bushehr will soon kick off and that there will be nuclear reactors in most parts of Bushehr province, which has a long coast on the Persian Gulf.