Iran's Bushehr plant to start operations by mid 2008

Tehran: Iran has said its Bushehr nuclear power plant will being operations by the middle of 2008.

The announcement, made in a statement by foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki, means the plant could start work more than six months earlier than previously thought.

He said: “The Bushehr nuclear power station will launch at a capacity of 50% next summer.''

The Russian company building the plant said on December 20 that the facility would not be ready before the end of 2008.

Iran has recently received a second batch of enriched uranium from Russia.