Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in the southern namesake city has injected close to 60 billion kilowatt hours of electricity to the national grid over the last decade, helping prevent power outages and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the head of the facility said.
"The nuclear power station has helped avoid the emission of 50 million tons of CO2 in the 10-year period," Reza Banazadeh was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The facility generated about 6 billion kilowatt hours of power in 2022, the production of which in a thermal power station would need at least 2 billion cubic meters of gas, or 10 million barrels of crude.
The official noted that the plant has been temporarily shut down for technical overhaul and refueling, and will resume operation in summer to add 1,000 megawatts to Iran’s electricity output capacity.
The Iranian reactor is the first civilian nuclear power facility of the Middle East, which operates under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It was built with Russian assistance.
The plant accounts for 1 gigawatt of Iran’s total installed power generation capacity that currently stands at 90 GW.
Banazadeh said the development of the plant will help curb burning oil and natural gas that can be used as feedstock in petrochemical plants to produce value-added goods.
Upon the full burn-up, 1 kg of uranium enriched by up to 4% (which is used in nuclear fuel) releases energy equivalent to that obtained as a result of burning about 60 tons of oil.
The fissile material (Uranium-235) is not completely burned off in the nuclear fuel and can be reused following regeneration (as opposed to ash and fossil fuel burnouts). In the future, complete transition to closed fuel cycle is possible, meaning that no waste will be generated.
Construction Operations
According to the official, construction operations at the second and third units of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant are making headway.
“Concrete pouring at the site of the second unit is complete,” he announced.
The construction of the first unit of the plant in Bushehr was carried out with the help of Russia. It came on stream in 2013 and reached full capacity (1,000 MW) the following year.
The first unit of Iran’s sole nuclear power plant generated about 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from 2013 to 2020, which is equivalent to the energy produced by burning more than 60 million barrels of crude oil.
In 2014, Iran signed a contract with the Russian company Rosatom and its subsidiaries to build two reactors on the same site.
The second unit of the plant is scheduled to come on stream in five years, while the third will be finished in seven years, following which nuclear power generation capacity will stand at 3,000 MW.
Over $10 billion have been allocated to the second and third units, each of which will have a capacity of 1,057 MW.
“The construction of nuclear power plants provides economic growth and creates new jobs,” he added, noting that one job in nuclear power plant construction creates 10–15 jobs in related sectors. The development of nuclear energy contributes to the growth of research and national intellectual potential.
Over the next 50 years, mankind will consume more energy than it has been consumed in the entire preceding history.
The level of consumption is growing much faster, while new sources of energy will become widely accessible at affordable prices.
Fossil Fuels
Lack of fossil fuels is becoming more relevant than ever. The likelihood of building new hydroelectric power stations is limited and activities aimed at combating greenhouse gases, which impose restrictions on the burning of oil, gas and coal at thermal power plants should not be forgotten.
The active development of nuclear power – one of the youngest and fastest growing sectors of the global economy – may be the solution.
More and more countries have realized the need to start developing peaceful nuclear energy.
Known as an industrial region, Bushehr is home to major refineries and power plants. The giant South Pars Gas Field and Iran’s sole nuclear power plant are located in the Asalouyeh County.
The water needed for these facilities is supplied from the Persian Gulf, with the help of water desalination facilities.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is building desalination plants in Bushehr Province with a total capacity of 70,000 cubic meters per day as a part of its social responsibility to the residents of the dry region.
Banazadeh said the completion of these projects in 2024 is expected to double the current daily processing capacity at 40,000 cubic meters.
The project, estimated to cost $70 million, is being carried out by Tose Energy Novin Company, a subsidiary of AEOI, on 9 hectares.
