Iran mulls domestically produced nuclear power plants

The Iranian government has announced plans to build nuclear power plants using domestic industrial capacity in conjunction with Russia.

This comes as the UN Security Council met in New York to discuss the possible reimposition of international sanctions linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the country aimed to develop its own nuclear power plants alongside existing cooperation with Russia.

"We are looking to have our own power plants," Kamalvandi said in an interview with the Labour News Agency (ILNA), adding that Iran was working towards producing domestically built facilities.

Iran currently cooperates with Moscow on nuclear energy projects, including the Bushehr power plant, its first nuclear facility, which has been connected to the national grid since 2012 under an agreement with Rosatom.

Rosatom took over the Bushehr project after Germany’s Siemens withdrew from its 1974 contract following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Kamalvandi said two additional nuclear power plants were under construction with Russia and had made what he described as satisfactory progress. He added that Iran was also planning further nuclear facilities.

Iran is also participating in the construction of a 300-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovein, in the south-western province of Khuzestan, citing domestic capacity to manufacture components such as steam generators and turbines.

In October, Iran and Russia signed agreements in Moscow covering nuclear energy cooperation, including the development of small modular reactors and plans for additional large-scale reactors.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council met to discuss Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal though member states remain divided over whether sanctions on Iran should be reinstated or permanently lifted.

In Tehran, AEOI head Mohammad Eslami rejected calls by Western members of the Security Council for the return of sanctions, describing them as "unprofessional and illegal".

"Resolution 2231 has expired. The return of sanctions is rejected and cannot be implemented," Eslami told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

He also said inspections of civilian nuclear sites damaged in 12-day June strikes by the U.S. and Israel would not resume until a protocol on wartime inspections was agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Copied