President of JSC NIAEP-holding Company of JSC Atomstroyexport (JSC ASE), the project's general contractor, Valery Limarenko made the annoucment on Monday, adding that a number of deals related to long-lead equipment were expected to be signed in the near future.

"The contracts for the production of a melt localization device, the so-called core catcher, for the second and third NPP reactors have already been signed. Moreover, the manufacturer has already started to produce this complex equipment," Limarenko said at the IXth International Forum ATOMEXPO 2017, adding that contracts on deliveries of equipment for machinery rooms were also signed.

According to Limarenko, the issue of purchasing the NPP steam generators and the automation systems of technological process control was also on the agenda.

"This is a difficult and detailed work, which involves a large number of Atomstroyexport specialists, the main purpose of which is to supply the equipment in time. Such approach will allow reducing the period of construction, as the equipment will be delivered directly to the installation area," Limarenko said.

The Bushehr-2 construction deal, which had initiated the construction and installation of the second and the third reactors at the southern Iran site, was signed by Russia and Iran in November 2014. The deal also included the option of building six more reactors in the future.

In December 2016, Tehran transferred to Russia the first tranche to finance the building of the second stage of the Bushehr NPP. According to Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, construction and installation works under Bushehr-2 project began on March 14, 2017.

SPUTNIK/MNA