MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) – Atomstroiexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly, said Friday it had started preparing for the launch of a water demineralizing system at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.

Water demineralization is a key process in the functioning of NPPs, and its launch is the first step toward launching preliminary plant operations. Desalinated water is used to wash pipes in the NPP, and subsequently in the functioning of the plant.

The preliminary stage will end August 31 when demineralized water is fed into the unit's systems.

Iranian specialists are being trained to service the demineralizing system.

Atomstroiexport will complete the Bushehr NPP plant before handing it over to Iran, in line with a Russian-Iranian intergovernmental agreement.

Atomstroiexport is a leading Russian organization implementing intergovernmental agreements to build nuclear facilities abroad. It is the world's only company simultaneously building five nuclear power units - in China, India and Iran.