Construction of the 'Iran Hormoz' Nuclear Power Plant Begins in Southern Iran; Behrouz Bayat: It Has Propaganda Aspects

Following the announcement of the construction of the 'Iran Hormoz' nuclear power plant, Behrouz Bayat, a nuclear physics expert, referred to the launch of the new plant as having 'propaganda aspects,' citing the inefficiency of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Iranian media reported on Thursday, February 1, that the operational activities for the 'Iran Hormoz' power plant in Sirik port, located in Hormozgan province, have begun, stating that this nuclear facility will consist of four nuclear units aimed at producing five thousand megawatts by the year 2028 and will be completed by 2031. The promise of operationalizing the first phase of the new nuclear plant in the next five years comes as Behrouz Bayat, quoting Islamic Republic officials, noted that the time required for the second unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant to become operational was cited as 11 years, stating that this unit, which has been under construction since 2017, has not yet made progress after six years and likely will not reach completion even after 11 years. The expenditure and time spent over several years to establish nuclear power plants in Iran come at a time when their contribution to electricity production is deemed negligible. According to Behrouz Bayat, the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which took over two decades to complete, only supplies 1/3 percent of the country's electricity. Hoshang Oraki, a professor of electrical engineering at Sharif University, also criticized poor management and 'weak planning' in August of this year, noting that the total contribution of nuclear and renewable power plants, alongside self-supplied and diesel plants in Iran, only accounts for '5 percent of the country's electricity.' Meanwhile, Behrouz Bayat, a nuclear expert residing in Austria, pointed out that many advanced countries have turned to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy for electricity production. He noted that Germany, after shutting down all 27 of its nuclear power plants, currently generates about half of its electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic, stated that the investment required for the 'Iran Hormoz' nuclear power plant is estimated at 15 billion dollars. The state news agency IRNA, without mentioning details about the financing of this project, claimed that it would be funded through public government resources, a credit line from Russia, and foreign financing. This comes at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing a severe budget deficit, and protests over living conditions from various sectors, including retirees, workers, and teachers, have continued weekly in recent months. The Islamic Republic is seeking to develop nuclear power plants; Eslami: New documents and evidence have been sent to the agency. Continued power outages for homes and industries; the 5 percent share of nuclear power plants in the country's electricity production. The fifteenth report from Guterres on Resolution 2231; Iran should refrain from 'further violations of the JCPOA.' The first vice president of Raisi: The construction of 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power is on the agenda.