Inside Iran’s Bushehr Reactor: From Ruins to 1,000 Megawatts

The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is one of the most symbolically and strategically important energy sites in Iran.

Originally launched in 1975 under the Shah’s rule, the project was first led by Germany’s Siemens. But after the 1979 Revolution, construction was abruptly stopped, and the site fell into decades of uncertainty.

During the Iran-Iraq War, it sustained damage from multiple bombings, nearly burying the project forever.

A full revival began in 1995 when Russia signed a deal with Iran to redesign and complete the plant. In 2011, Bushehr finally became operational.

Today, it generates 1,000 megawatts of electricity and plays a critical role in Iran’s national power grid, especially during peak consumption seasons. Iran presents the plant as a peaceful energy solution, claiming it prevents over 7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.