Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom is significantly expanding its workforce at Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility, signaling a renewed commitment to the plant's expansion despite the volatile regional security environment, according to TASS news agency. Rosatom plans to increase its Russian personnel at the Bushehr site from the current 25 specialists to approximately 100 by autumn, as construction work advances on two additional reactor units. Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev confirmed that five engineering and technical specialists have recently arrived at the facility, with several dozen more expected to follow within the next two weeks.
The returning personnel are focused on the main and auxiliary buildings for Units 2 and 3, as well as the preparation of hydraulic engineering facilities. The workforce buildup represents a phased return that began in July, when Reuters first reported that the initial six Rosatom employees were heading back to Bushehr. The return follows the evacuation of hundreds of Russian personnel that occurred during the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran.
Notably, twenty Russian specialists managed to remain at the facility throughout much of the disruption. Construction of Bushehr Units 2 and 3 was suspended in March after U.S. and Israeli strikes began landing in proximity to the nuclear complex. According to the IAEA's reactor database, Unit 2 alone is designed to deliver 974 MW of net generating capacity, which would roughly double Iran's existing nuclear generation output upon completion.
Bushehr currently represents Iran's sole operating nuclear reactor, providing 915 MW of net capacity. Tehran has set an ambitious target of reaching 20 GW of nuclear capacity by 2040, driven in large part by the need to address chronic electricity shortages affecting the country. Russia and Iran also signed a $25-billion agreement covering four additional nuclear units to be built in southeastern Iran, according to Reuters.
Despite the progress on the ground, Likhachev cautioned that a return to full pre-conflict staffing levels will ultimately depend on the resolution of the broader military conflict. He stated that a final U.S.-Iran agreement ending hostilities remains a prerequisite for restoring previous workforce numbers. The geopolitical backdrop remains highly complex.
Iran has stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington meets a series of sweeping demands, even as Tehran and Oman are reportedly moving closer to an agreement on alternative shipping arrangements through the strategically critical chokepoint for global oil and LNG flows. Source: OilPrice.com, TASS news agency, IAEA reactor database, Reuters.
Source: oilprice.com