Rosatom Plans to Build Eight New Nuclear Power Units and SMRs in Iran

Recently, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, announced that Russia and Iran have reached an agreement to jointly construct 8 new nuclear power units in Iran, and signed a cooperation agreement this autumn for the construction of small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power generation facilities in Iran.

It is reported that the two sides are currently steadily advancing the construction of Units 2 and 3 of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Likhachev refuted rumors that Russian personnel might evacuate from Bushehr, and explicitly stated that Rosatom is expanding the on-site construction workforce as planned, with the total number of Chinese and Russian technical personnel on site expected to gradually increase to the planned target of 700.

Although the nuclear cooperation projects are progressing according to the established plan, Likhachev also noted that subsequent personnel supplementation and project progress will depend on the local geopolitical and military situation in the Middle East. If regional tensions further escalate, Rosatom may slow the pace of on-site personnel expansion, but at the current stage construction remains in normal operation.

Currently, Unit 1 of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 1024 MW, is a benchmark project of Russia-Iran nuclear energy cooperation. The newly signed agreements for 8 large-capacity units and small reactors mark the further deepening of strategic cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in the nuclear energy field, and will have a significant impact on the energy structure and geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.