Iran, along with Russian builders, publicized the start of the two-unit Bushehr II nuclear power plant on Friday with a ground-breaking ceremony in which the first foundation stones for the two new units were put into place.
Two 1,057 megawatt advanced VVER-1000 reactors – termed Generation III reactors – are slated for the site that already includes the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East, Rusian-built Bushehr I, which went on line in September 2011. The next two units are expected to take 108 months and 126 months, respectively, to complete, according to Iranian media quoting Atomic Energy Organization of Iran President Ali Salehi.
Salehi attended the ceremony on Friday along with Rosatom director gerneral Sergey Kirienko, and Iranian vice president Ishak Jahangiri. Also present was Valery Limarenko, director of Rosatom's export-oriented subsidiary AtomStroyExport (ASE).
“Construction of the power plant is a symbol of Iran enjoying the results of the nuclear deal,” said Jahangiri, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, the accord that allowed Iran to pursue nuclear power projects for peaceful purposes in exchange for restrictions on its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany were party to the agreement in which economic sanctions were lifted in return for Iran's cooperation.
Iran and Russia had been negotiating continued partnerships on non-military uses of nuclear power despite the sanctions, which were lifted in January 2016 after the accord was reached in July 2015. Progress was limited to negotiating and signing deals, but no tangible steps forward had been taken until Friday.
“In 2014, Iran and Russia signed three documents, one contract, one protocol and one memorandum of understanding, in Moscow to construct the new units, paving the way for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the two countries to enter a strategic, new phase,” the World Nuclear Association quoted Salehi as saying.
Construction of Bushehr II's Unit 2 is expected to start in 2018. The two reactor are expected to cost $10 billion to build and help Iran move beyond its fossil-fuel-based energy mix.
Iran currently generates 75,000 megawatts of electricity, 90 percent of which is generated from burning fossil fuels. By 2030, Iran is expected to use nuclear power to add 20,000 megawatts to its current capacity.
The current preferred partner in its nuclear ambitions, Russia, also has agreements for future projects in Iran with Bushehr II representing “a new page in the trend of our peaceful industrial nuclear activities,” Salehi said.