Launch of Bushehr nuclear plant is AEOI’s top priority
Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN – Launching the Bushehr nuclear power plant is the main priority of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali-Akbar Salehi, new director of the AEOI, said on Tuesday.

The AEOI is seeking to make the plant operational in the safest and securest way, Salehi told the ISNA news agency during a visit to the Bushehr nuclear plant site.

A test run of the nuclear power plant began on February 25. The test involves dummy rods that imitate the enriched uranium needed to run the plant.

He expressed hope that the Russian contractor will launch the plant according to the scheduled plan.

Also, the managers of the Iranian Atomic Energy Production and Development Corporation as well as AtomStoryExport Company briefed Salehi on all activities done and the remaining work left to make the plant operational.

He said that the AEOI also plans to construct a new nuclear plant in the future.

In March 2009, the head of Russia's state nuclear power corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, announced that Russia had completed the construction of the plant. A series of pre-launch tests were conducted after the announcement. Iranian Energy Minister Parviz Fattah has said that the Bushehr would be brought up to full capacity by the end of March 2010.

Operations of the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor have been delayed repeatedly. Work on Bushehr originally started 34 years ago, during the reign of the shah with the help of the German contractor Siemens

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