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Iran to begin operation of 1st nuclear power plant

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-22 22:31

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's official news agency says the country's first nuclear power plant will begin preliminary phase operation on Wednesday after a series of delays.

A general view of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, about 1,215 km south of Tehran, in this April 3, 2007 file photo. [Agencies]

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The Sunday report by the IRNA agency says "pilot stage operation" of the power plant will start on Wednesday during a visit by the head of Russia's state Rosatom Atomic Corporation, Sergey Kiriyenko.

The long-awaited 1,000-MW power plant, which was built in the city of Bushehr with the help from Russia under a $1 billion contract, was expected to become operational in fall of 2008.

Some 700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia to operate the plant.

Tehran also plans to build a 360-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin, in the southwestern Khuzestan province.