Iran to build more nuclear power plants

Iran has asked its energy companies to look for potential sites to set up more nuclear power plants in the country, a senior official has said.

Ahmad Fayyazbakhsh, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation and head of a state-owned nuclear energy production company, said that his company has signed an agreement with six local companies to set up nuclear power plants.

These companies were asked to look for potential sites within a year for setting up new nuclear power plants, Iran's state run IRNA news agency Tuesday quoted the official as saying.

The construction of the power plants would begin after finalising the sites, Fayyazbakhsh said.

Earlier, 62 foreign and 58 Iranian companies had applied for the work, but the six Iranian companies won the bid, he added.

Russia is helping Iran to build its first nuclear power plant in the country's southern port of Bushehr. The plant was expected to start its operation early this year, but was postponed due to disputes over payment.

The US and its Western allies fear that Iran's nuclear programme is to make weapons. Iran insists that its programme is for peaceful purposes only.

(Source: NDTV Arabia)