Tehran: Iran is moving forward with plans to build nuclear power plants at five locations along its coastline as part of efforts to expand the share of nuclear energy in the country’s electricity mix, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Monday. Mohammad Eslami, vice president and chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made the remarks during a meeting with members of parliament’s energy and construction commissions.
According to Anadolu Agency, Eslami stated that the projects are being implemented under Iran’s comprehensive strategic document for the nuclear industry, which was unveiled in 2022. “Based on this document, the construction of nuclear power plants at five coastal locations is on the agenda to increase the share of nuclear electricity in the country’s energy basket, and these projects are progressing according to plan,” he noted.
Eslami also highlighted that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant recently surpassed 80 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generation. This milestone, he mentioned, had saved the equivalent of 131 million barrels of crude oil or 21.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Additionally, the second and third units of the Bushehr plant are under construction as part of a $10 billion investment project, with Eslami describing them as among the country’s largest infrastructure developments.
Located on Iran’s southern Gulf coast, the Bushehr plant is the country’s only operating nuclear power facility and plays a critical role in supplying electricity to the national grid. Despite recent regional tensions, including airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, Iranian media reported that the Bushehr plant has been targeted multiple times but remained operational without disruption to electricity generation.
The tensions escalated further when Israel bombed Beirut, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile launches toward northern Israel. Iran’s military announced a halt to attacks on Israel, warning of a ‘crushing’ response if Israeli strikes on Lebanon persisted. Meanwhile, Israeli media, citing unnamed officials, reported that Israel had agreed to stop airstrikes on Iran but planned to continue its operations in southern Lebanon.