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AEOI head says Iran needs 20 new nuclear plants

Business Materials 20 October 2014 19:51 (UTC +04:00)

Tehran, Iran, Oct. 20

By Milad Fashtami - Trend:

The Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said that the country needs 20 new nuclear power plants like the Bushehr plant.

"Bushehr power plant currently produces 7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year," Salehi said, Iran's ISNA News Agency reported on October 20.

"Some countries have declared their readiness to construct new nuclear power plants in Iran," he explained.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's Deputy Director for International Affairs Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Sept. 15 that Iran plans to start construction of two new nuclear power plants by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21).

"The final negotiations are underway with the Russians to build the plants," Iran's Tabnak News Website quoted Kamalvandi as saying.

"The two power plants will most probably be constructed near the Bushehr nuclear power plant," he said, adding that the two plants will have the capacity to produce 1,000 megawatt of electricity.

"The construction plan will be complete in 5 to 7 years," Kamalvand added.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Sept. 10 "We have been informed that Iran plans to construct 20 new nuclear power plants."

Salehi said in June that Iran has reached an agreement with Russia to construct two more nuclear power plants.

"The two sides are negotiating over the six other planned plants," he explained.

Tehran is reportedly negotiating with Moscow over construction of 8 nuclear reactors.

Iran's ISNA News Agency on May 25 quoted an unnamed official as saying that Iran and Russia has agreed over a nuclear protocol for construction of new nuclear reactors.

"If the two sides sign the agreement, Iran will officially be able to construct the new reactors," the source said.

The source went on to note that the two countries have already agreed over construction of two power reactors.

Salehi, said on April 13 that the country has a contract with Russia which obligates Moscow to build four other nuclear power plants in the country.
Salehi said that based on a contract which was signed in 1992, Russian are supposed to construct the power plants at the request of Tehran.
He also said that Iran will start construction of its second nuclear plant this year.

"Two years from now we will start the construction operation of the third plant, he explained, adding that the country will continue building next ones every two years.

"We plan to use local experts in construction of the plants as much as possible," Salehi said.

"Before the Islamic revolution [in 1979] the Americans said that Iran needs to annually produce 20,000 megawatt hours of nuclear electricity. Now we want to reach the goal," he noted.

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