Russia’s Rosatom continues Iran nuclear project despite tensions

Rosatom will continue its work in Iran despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and remains committed to building additional reactors at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the company’s chief, Alexei Likhachev, said on March 12.

Rosatom constructed the first 1-gigawatt unit of the Bushehr facility, which is currently Iran’s only operating nuclear power plant. Following strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, the Russian corporation evacuated part of its workforce and temporarily suspended construction on two additional units planned at the site.

According to Likhachev, around 450 Rosatom employees remain at Bushehr, while 150 staff members returned to Russia via Armenia earlier this week.

“The construction of the second and third units remains among the corporation’s priorities. It is definitely not the time to leave. What is happening in the Middle East is only part of a global mosaic,” Rosatom quoted Likhachev as saying.

On March 9, Likhachev said the situation around Bushehr remained tense but confirmed that neither the nuclear power plant nor the construction site had been struck.

Under a bilateral agreement between Russia and Iran, the two countries can cooperate on the construction of up to eight nuclear power units, including four units planned at the Bushehr plant.

Last autumn, Iran also announced that it had signed a $25 billion agreement with Rosatom to construct four nuclear power units with a combined capacity of 5 gigawatts at another site in the southeastern part of the country.

In addition, the two sides signed a memorandum on the development of small nuclear power plants in Iran.

By Tamilla Hasanova