Ali Akbar Salehi, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), made the announcement in an interview with IRIB on Sat. night, adding “we can also manufacture a considerable part of equipment outside Nuclear Island, therefore the agreement has been drawn in a way that if Iran’s industry manufactures according to standards, Russians will be willing to concede the equipment to the Iranians.”
Iran in cooperation with Russia commenced the construction of two new power-generating units at the site of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran earlier on Saturday. According to Salehi, the project is worth 10 billion US dollars and will be completed in ten years.
About the construction of small 360MW power plants, he said “before, the designing of these plants were done by Iranian scientists and European companies would then evaluate and approve them, but now we are about to sign a contract for the designing of a 360MW power plant in Darkhoveyn, Khuzestan province.”
He went on to add, “the construction model for the reactor has been inspired by one from Switzerland, based on which engineers at the AEOI have drawn up a new design for a 360MW power plant. At present, the designing stage for the reactor has been completed and part of the basic design has been done as well.”
Salehi noted that China will supply Iran with the fuel for the reactors the first time, and Iran will start producing fuel on its own in five years’ time, if the modernization of Arak heavy water reactor is completed within that time period.
“So far, more than eight sessions have been held among Iranian, Chinese and American experts on the modernization of Arak reactor,” Salehi said. “The agreement will be signed in Beijing next week.”
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