Iran to start nuclear expansion this year

• 10 years ago (2014-04-14)
• Junior Isles

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Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), has said that Iran expects to begin construction of its second nuclear plant, using ‘local experts’, as early as this year.

Salehi confirmed that Iran plans to build further plants every two years as part of long term plans to reach 20 GW of nuclear capacity. "Two years from now, we will start the construction of the third plant," he said.

Salehi recently noted that Russia is contracted to assist in constructing four planned nuclear power and must begin plant construction at Tehran’s request. The Iranian-Russian nuclear contract dates back to 1992, but Salehi views it as binding.

Asghar Zare'an, the Deputy Managing Director for Protection and Security at the AEOI and Russia's Rosatom confirmed in March that Tehran and Moscow were in the process of negotiating construction of a second 1000 MW unit at the Bushehr plant, which is operated under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Bushehr reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012 and was handed over to Iranian authorities in September 2013.