Tehran, Jan. 22, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation said it would start up the Bushehr nuclear power plant this year.

 

‘2010 is the year of Bushehr, there is absolutely no doubt that it will be built this year. Everything is going according to schedule,’ Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of the Rosatom state nuclear corporation announced after a cabinet meeting in Moscow, reported Reuters.

 

The 1000 megawatt nuclear power plant in Bushehr has been undergoing construction for more than 15 years and Russia has repeatedly postponed its launch citing technical difficulties. However, many analysts believe Moscow exploits Bushehr as a bargaining chip in its broader negotiations and dealings with the United States and other western powers.  Russia denies that it is using Bushehr as a political leverage and says delays were caused by technical problems and safety measures.

 

Iran began construction of Beshehr some 30 years ago through a contract with German Siemens Company, but the latter withdrew from the project under pressure from Western powers and due to an eight-year long Iran-Iraq war.

 

The Russian official didn’t say the exact date for the launch of Bushehr, but expert say it will be powered up in March 2010. Russia has already shipped uranium fuel for Busher and it is being stored safely in Iran until the plant begins operation. The project has passed all safety standards and Iran will send back all the spent uranium fuel to Russia for further processing.