Iran kicks off construction of four more nuclear power plants

NEW DELHI: Iran has begun the construction of four additional nuclear power plants in the southern part of the country. According to the official IRNA news agency, these plants will have a combined capacity of 5,000 megawatts.

The goal is to achieve a total nuclear energy production of 20,000 megawatts by 2041.Currently, Iran operates one nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, which was established in 2011 with assistance from Russia. Additionally, a 300-megawatt plant is being built in the oil-rich Khuzestan province near the border with Iraq.

Last year, the UN's nuclear watchdog reported that Iran had increased its production of near-weapons grade uranium. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that Iran had recently accelerated its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous reduction.

However, Iran denies any intention to develop nuclear weapons.The construction of the new power plants is expected to take approximately nine years, according to Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran's atomic agency.

The plants will be located in the port town of Sirik on Iran's east coast, around 1,150 kilometers south of Tehran. The project is estimated to cost $20 billion and will create 4,000 jobs. Each plant is projected to consume 35 tonnes of nuclear fuel per year.