22 Feb (NucNet): Iran�s first nuclear power plant is to start trial operations this week, the country�s official news agency (IRNA) announced today.

IRNA said the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is being built with assistance from Russia, will begin trial operations, or pre-commissioning, on Wednesday 25 February.

A ceremony to mark the occasion will be attended by the head of Iran�s Atomic Energy Organisation, Reza Aqazadeh, and the head of Russia�s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko.

The fuel assemblies supplied by Russia for the plant remain sealed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to a November 2008 report by the agency.

According to the report, Iran has told the IAEA that the loading of fuel assemblies will take place only in the second quarter of 2009.
All the main equipment for the Bushehr plant has been installed by Russian contractor Atomstroyexport.

In May 2006, Russia said the plant was almost 90 percent complete and construction was scheduled to finish by the end of 2006. IRNA said today that construction was delayed for �various reasons� including problems with delivering equipment and fuel assemblies.

Iran plans to have two units at Bushehr, in the south-west of the country, although the site has room for up to four.

The US State Department said last week that the international community still does not have confidence in �the exclusively peaceful nature� of Iran�s nuclear programme. A statement said: �We once again urge Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment-related reprocessing, and heavy water-related activities, to make a full disclosure to the IAEA of all nuclear weapons activities, and to facilitate full IAEA verification of its nuclear programme without delay.�

IAEA director-general Mohamed ElBaradei last week IAEA circulated his latest report on nuclear safeguards in Iran to the agency�s board of governors, the IAEA�s 35-member policymaking body. The report, which has not been made public, will be discussed by the board when it meets in Vienna on 2 March 2009.

>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)

�No Political Obstacles� To Sending N-Fuel To Iran, Says Russia (News No. 61, 20 March 2006)

Russia Says Construction Of Iran�s Bushehr Unit Nearing Completion (News No. 96, 10 May 2006)

Russia And Iran Confirm Bushehr Nuclear Fuel Agreement (News No. 209, 27 September 2006)

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