Iran: Plant in Bushehr to be operational by March 2008
CNN quotes Iranian energy minister as saying Iran's first nuclear power plant will be functional within three months, contradicting earlier claims by Russian company constructing plant that it won't be operational before end of 2008
The Iranian nuclear plant in Bushehr will be operational within three months and could begin supplying electricity to Iran's power grid by summertime, the CNN news network quoted Iranian Energy Minister Parviz Fattah as saying Sunday.
This statement contradicts an earlier statement released last week by the Russian company that is constructing the plant, according to which the plant will not b operational before the end of 2008.
"I can say with certainty that the plant won't be launched before late 2008," Sergei Shmatko, the head of the Atomstroiexport company building the nuclear plant in the southern port of Bushehr, said.
Last Monday Russia made its first shipment of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr plant, paving the way for the long-delayed startup of the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor.
The Iranian minister told journalists Saturday that the nuclear power plant will become operational on March 21, 2008. The plant will deliver 500 megawatts of electricity to the power grid by summer and 1,000 megawatts by March 2009.
Washington and Moscow have recently asserted that providing Iran with Russian nuclear fuel would enable the Islamic republic to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment program, while Iran stated that it planned to continue enriching uranium, which is required for other nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Iranian National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali told reporters Sunday that his country would soon publish tenders for the construction of 19 nuclear power plants.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Jalali said that each of the plants would be able to deliver 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
Dudi Cohen and Associated Press contributed to the report
