Iran to build small nuclear power plants

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) plans to construct small nuclear power stations as well as small desalination plants in the coming years.

Iran should draw up plans to be a fuel producer within the next 10 to 15 years and also to take steps towards the construction of small power plants, AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told state-run news agency IRNA on Saturday.

He added that the country has started building small power plants, which, he said, could be used for a variety of purposes.

Iran was seriously pursuing plans to produce fuel for large power plants as well, Kamalvandi noted.

He also pointed to deals signed by Iran and Russia late in 2014 to construct two units at Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran and said Iran has good cooperation with Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.

A Rosatom delegation is expected to travel to Tehran late in April for talks on the construction of two power plants and production of fuel, the AEOI spokesperson added.

AEOI head Ali Akbar Salehi and Rosatom chief executive Sergey Kirienko struck a deal last November to build eight more nuclear power plants in Iran.

Under the deal, up to four of the projected facilities are planned to be built at the site of the Bushehr nuclear power station.

The remaining four are expected to be constructed elsewhere in Iran, but the exact location has not yet been determined.