Al-Monitor first reported the development citing official statements and interviews. Rosatom said CEO Alexey Likhachev met with AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami during Eslami's visit to Moscow, where the pair signed a memorandum of understanding that "outlines cooperation in the construction of small nuclear power plants in the Islamic Republic of Iran" and sets "specific steps" to implement the project. The two also reviewed the "progress of current projects," Rosatom added.
Eslami arrived in Russia on Monday to lead Iran's delegation to World Atomic Energy Week, a three-day nuclear conference in Moscow running from September 25 to 28. The agreement caps months of consultations: in mid‑August, Likhachev confirmed Rosatom had been in talks with Iran on small-scale reactors, expanding cooperation beyond the large Russian-built Bushehr plant on the Persian Gulf.
Iran's government has signaled ambitions far beyond a single project. According to the semi‑official Mehr news agency, Eslami told local outlets this week that Tehran plans to build eight nuclear power plants as part of a roadmap to reach 20 gigawatts of atomic capacity by 2041. Today, Iran operates just one reactor—Bushehr—with roughly 1 GW of capacity; Russia is constructing two additional units at the site.
Despite nameplate capacity, Bushehr's annual output has lagged. Government data compiled by Iran Open Data show that the plant's yearly capacity of 8.7 terawatt-hours contrasts with an average production of under 5.5 TWh—less than 65% utilization in recent years.
The push comes amid an intensifying domestic energy crunch. Iran endures recurring electricity shortages and rolling blackouts, with aging thermal plants running below capacity. In 2023, peak demand outstripped supply by about 12 GW, according to U.S. government figures. Nuclear power accounts for roughly 0.5% of generation, while natural gas supplies more than 70%.
The timing also underscores the diplomatic stakes. Britain, France, and Germany—collectively known as the E3—recently reactivated the snapback mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, paving the way for UN sanctions on Tehran to be restored within less than a month. Iran insists its nuclear program is entirely civilian and argues an expanded fleet is vital to cut fossil-fuel reliance and modernize the grid. Seeking to avert a snapback, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met on Tuesday with his British, French, and German counterparts, alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas; the talks yielded no breakthrough. Germany's Foreign Office said the E3 and EU "urged Iran to take practical steps within the next days, if not hours, to address longstanding concerns around its nuclear program."
Photo: Gemini AI