Bushehr power plant to be launched on Feb. 25

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Pilot stage operation" of the power plant will start on Wednesday during a visit by the head of Russia's state Rosatom Atomic Corporation, Sergey Kiriyenko.



"In the presence of the heads of the atomic energy organizations of Iran and Russia, the pre-commissioning of Bushehr power plant will be carried out on Wednesday," the IRNA news agency said, quoting Iran Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Mohsen Delaviz.



It did not say exactly what the pre-commissioning of the much-delayed plant would involve.

Russia took over construction of the $1 billion contract for the 1,000-MW power plant in 1994 but completion has been delayed due to a number of factors, including the controversy over Tehran's nuclear program.



Some 700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia to operate the plant that was expected to become operational in fall of 2008.



Russia had resisted Western calls for tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, which Washington believes is aimed at building atomic weapons.



Tehran however maintains its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes.



Russia is also one of the six countries negotiating with Iran over the nuclear issue along with the United States, Britain, China, France and Germany.



Tehran also plans to build a 360-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin, in the southwestern Khuzestan province, IRNA reports.