Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 23 / Trend, N. Umid/
Iran plans to build new nuclear power plants (NPP) on the Persian Gulf shores, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi said, ISNA news agency reported.
He went on to note that Iran also plans to establish NPPs on the Caspian Sea shores and the country's central areas in the future.
Salehi underlined that the NPPs which will be built on the Persian Gulf shores can also supply the required drinking water for Iran's southern Provinces by a desalination process.
Nuclear desalination uses the excess heat from a nuclear power plant to evaporate sea water and condense the pure water.
Earlier in September, Iranian media outlets quoted the country's energy minister Hamid Chitchian as saying Iran plans to build a new nuclear power plant.
The new plant will have the capacity to produce 360 megawatt of electricity per hour, he said in a televised interview, Mehr News Agency reported.
Iran took over the control of its first nuclear power plant, Bushehr NPP from Russia on September 23.
Salehi said during the inauguration ceremony of the Bushehr NPP that he expected work to start soon on a second plant upon completion of talks with Moscow saying: "Negotiations are continuing and are well-advanced."
"Work will start soon," he added, without revealing any exact date.