Region | Iran
Bushehr plant will take 'at least a year'
Iran's first nuclear power plant will not be operational before the end of 2008, according to the Russian company building it.
- Agencies
- Published: 12:09 December 20, 2007
- Russian technicians at work in the nuclear power plant in Bushehr.
- Image Credit: EPA
Moscow/Washington: Russia dampened Iranian hopes of an imminent launch of the Bushehr nuclear power station Moscow is building in the Islamic republic, saying it would not be launched earlier than the end of 2008.
A spokeswoman for the Russian contractor on the flagship project, Atomstroiexport, confirmed that it would take at least a year to start the power station.
"We can predict that the Bushehr station will be launched no earlier than the end of 2008 due to the current situation," Irina Yesipova said on Thursday.
On Tuesday the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Saeedi, said he hoped the 1,000 megawatt plant in the southern city of Bushehr could come on line within three months at up to 200 megawatts before being cranked up to full capacity nine months later.
Bushehr lies at the centre of Iran's controversial ambitions to create its own nuclear power infrastructure.
The United States and Israel have voiced fears that Iran's civilian nuclear power programme could be a cover for a programme to develop weapons.
Yesipova said the Russian timeframe was not a question of delays, but of the amount of time needed to deliver fuel and carry out tests on the station.
Russia began sensitive deliveries of nuclear fuel to Bushehr last Sunday after repeated hold-ups and an earlier call by the United States for the project to be suspended.
Long wait
Yesipova said it would take nearly two months to complete the delivery of nuclear fuel to Bushehr.
Six months after that tests would start on launching the station itself, she said.
"Six months after the end of deliveries of fuel we will start tests with the fuel. When the tests are successfully completed we can launch the station. I can't say how long the tests will last. A deviation from the schedule risks having a negative effect on the security of the power station," she said.
Referring to the Iranian side's expectations of a faster launch, she said "the official who made this statement was probably not appraised of the technical issues. There is a technical schedule of work and we cannot deviate from it".
Major powers were to hold talks yesterday to discuss a third UN sanctions resolution against Iran.
Senior officials from the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain will hold a conference call, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.
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