Physical launch work begins at Iran`s Bushehr nuclear power plant.

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on
Saturday will become "a full-fledged nuclear power plant after the first
portion of nuclear fuel rods has been brought from the storage facility
the reactor of the first unit, ITAR-TASS was told at the state corporation
Rosatom.
This means that the specialists of the Russian Atomstroiexport
company, the contractor that has built Iran's first nuclear power plant
along with its Iranian counterparts, will now begin to work on the
physical launch of the first unit," the source said. "The storage of fresh
nuclear fuel delivered from Russia to the plant's premises is located in
close proximity to the reactor's building."
The head of Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, met with Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin on August 19 to say that "this week will see a momentous
event for Rosatom - the physical launch of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power
plant." He also stated that "we, along with the Iranian partners have
observed the original schedule and on Saturday, August 21, we shall enter
the stage of the power plant's physical." Kiriyenko added that this would
take place under the supervision of IAEA inspectors. "They will open the
containers with the fuel that we supplied more than a year ago, having
agreed the step with all of our partners in the world. Now that fuel is to
be unpacked and brought to the reactor building."
Rosatom has recalled that two years ago a contract was concluded with
the Iranian side to the effect the operation of the first reactor at
Bushehr during the first year after its launch will be carried out by
Russian specialists, who are tasked to train a team of qualified
specialists comprising both Russian and Iranian nuclear scientists.
"The first group of Russian specialists - the operators - are already
at the unit and they are taking part in preparations for the unit's
launch," the source said, noting that several more groups would be sent to
the station later.
The Bushehr nuclear power plant, consisting of two units under the
original project, began to build in the 1970s by Germany's concern
Siemens. However, after the revolution in Iran, the seizure of the U.S.
embassy in Tehran and the U.S.-imposed embargo on high technology supplies
to that country Siemens refused to continue the construction work.
The current Russian-Iranian contract on the completion of the first
unit of Iran's nuclear power plant unit was signed 15 years ago. In 1995,
the Russian company Zarubezhatomenergostroi and the Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran signed a contract in Tehran for the completion of the
first unit at Bushehr. Russia then also agreed to supply to Bushehr its
water-moderated 1,000-megawatt reactor VVER-1000 and nuclear fuel for it,
and to instruct Iranian experts in operating the reactor. The contract was
then estimated at one billion dollars, and the value of the contract for
the supply of VVER-1000 reactor amounted to 850 million dollars.
Rosatom officials say that "at the regular meetings between
representatives of the Russian state-owned corporation and the Atomic
Energy Organization of Iran the Iranian side has repeatedly raised the
issue of signing a contract for the possible completion of a second unit
at Bushehr nuclear power plant."
At a certain point the head of Rosatom said that "it is too early to
talk about cooperation between the two countries in nuclear power
generation at this facility, because it is necessary to complete the
launch of the first unit and put it into operation."
"That must be done as quickly as possible," he added.
The work for the physical start-up of Bushehr's first reactor is to
begin on Saturday and "if all goes well, the south of Iran will receive
electricity from the first Iranian nuclear power plant by the end of the
year."

-0-str