China To Build Two Nuclear Plants In Iran, Reports Say

20 Jan (NucNet): China is going to build two nuclear power plants in southeastern Iran, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, said, according to reports. A number of Tehran-based news agencies quoted Mr Salehi as saying the contract for the two units has been signed and will be confirmed during a visit this weekend to Tehran by Chinese president Xi Jinping. Mr Salehi said the plants will be built at Makran, near the port city of Chabahar, with a total budget of $10bn (€9.2bn). The plants will be the first in Iran since Bushehr-1 was built by Russia and began commercial operation in September 2013. Earlier this week sanctions were lifted on Iran following verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran had complied with nuclear-related measures set out in an agreement agreed last year intended to make sure its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.