Two earthquakes strike near Iran nuclear plant
The Bushehr nuclear power plant, on the coast of the Persian Gulf in southwestern Iran, was under construction from 1975 to 2011. During the 1980s, the pre-operational construction site was repeatedly attacked by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Commercial electricity (and high-level radioactive waste) generation at Unit 1 began in 2011.
It is the first operational commercial atomic reactor in the Middle East (although there have long been several operational research reactors for a long time: two in Iraq, two in Israel, one in Syria and three in Iran).
The Russian government and nuclear industry was in charge of construction of the first unit beginning in 1995. It is now undertaking construction of two more full-scale commercial reactors at the site, and up to six more elsewhere in Iran.
January 9, 2020