BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 14
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
The value of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) annual budget is about $20 million at present, Head of the AEOI Ali Akbar Salehi said, Trend reports citing the organization portal.
Salehi said that in total, the budget of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran for the past 30 years amounted to $5.6-$7 billion. That's an average of about $250 million a year.
Salehi added that this budget also includes the costs of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. The current cost of this power plant is about $5 billion and brings in about $700 million a year.
The official noted that the revenue of the organization is increasing in the current Iranian year (from March 20, 2020 through March 20, 2020). Thus, a number of enterprises affiliated with the organization do not request any money from the organization, and also bring revenue.
"If this process continues and scientific achievements increase, it is hoped that in the next 7-8 years, the organization will provide revenue to the government," he said.
As reported, the electricity generated by the 1st power unit of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant began to be transported to Iran's electricity network on September 3, 2011. The first unit of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has generated about 43 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from the date of commissioning to the September of last year. The generated electricity was transported to the country's electricity network.
The Nuclear Power Production and Development Company of Iran and Russia's Atomstroyexport JSC signed a contract in 2014 on the construction of the 2nd and 3rd units of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran. The construction of two blocks of this power plant began in 2016. If the 2nd and 3rd units of Bushehr NPP are put into operation, 1,050 megawatts of electricity can be produced.