Iran's nuclear power plant not to be launched in 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Nuclear Power Plant of Bushehr, Iran, will not be launched in 2009, said RF Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko. "We anticipate serious results by year end, however, plant is not expected to be launched by that time. Iran positively assesses activities of RF. Iranians see how the project works. There are no questions in that regard," Interfax quotes him as saying.



"Russia, as before, is convinced of fulfilling all its commitments to Iran," Minister said. "Construction work in Budapest is in satisfactory state." Moscow and Tehran do not yet consider terms for launching the plant, as that is conditioned by technical conditions," Shmatko said.



"Bushehr" Nuclear Power Plant (100 MW) is the main target of Russian-Iranian trade-economic cooperation. Its construction (launched back in 1970) is carried out by Atomstroyexport CJSC. In February 2009, Rosatom Director Sergei Kirienko said the plant might be technically launched by the end of current year. Later, however, Moscow announced it wasn't making haste considering the need for "observing time-limits as well as security and reliability terms".



Ali Akbar Salehi, Director of Iran's Atomic Enrgy Organization, refrained from specifying time-limits back in September. Main equipments are installed but terms of launching plant depend on test work, he said