Bushehr NPP to be turned over to Iran in 2015, Russian contractor says
BRNO. Oct 8 (Interfax) - The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran will finally be handed over for commercial operation in 2015, Gennady Tepkyan, vice president of Russian contractor JSC NIAEP - JSC Atomstroyexport (ASE), said in a presentation at the Atomex Europe forum in Brno.
Tepkyan said the plant reached first criticality on May 8, 2011. The first generating unit reached full capacity at the end of August 2012.
Russia has turned over the first 1,000 MW generating unit at Bushehr to its Iranian client on September 23, when CJSC Atomstroyexport signed an act of transfer for Bushehr. The plant will be under Russian guarantee for two years and Russian experts will remain on site to consult personnel and provide technical assistance.
Bushehr is situated on the Persian Gulf coast and has one power unit with 1,000 MW capacity. Its construction began in the 1970s by a consortium led by German company Siemens. However, Siemens subsequently pulled out of the contract with Iran for political reasons. In 1992, Russia and Iran agreed to complete the plant's first unit. Russian general contractor CJSC Atomstroyexport, which is managed by NIAEP, left off where the Germans started.
Bushehr was connected to the power grid and formally inaugurated in September 2011.
The NPP was first brought up to full capacity at the end of August 2012 but stopped as early as October, when fuel was re-loaded.
