25 May 2004 12:27
Russia and Iran finalizing nuclear fuel deal
Moscow, 25 May: Completing the construction of the first generating set at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station
remains "one of the Federal Atomic Power Agency's priorities for the coming year", the agency's
head, Aleksandr Rumyantsev, told ITAR-TASS news agency today when asked about the progress of the Bushehr project.
There is a slight delay in finishing work on the generating set and preparing it for commissioning, he said,
attributing this to "contractual noncompliance by a number of Russian and Iranian companies". However, he
continued, the generating set is nearly ready and commissioning "will take place in 2005, and it will be connected
to the Iranian grid in that year as well".
Rumyantsev said that the purpose of his visit to Tehran this summer, which is being agreed through diplomatic
channels, will be "to adjust with Iranian atomic energy officials a timetable for completing the project and
getting it into operation".
"During the visit we plan to sign an additional protocol on the return of spent fuel to Russia for storage and
reprocessing," Rumyantsev said, adding that Iranian officials "have often said they are willing to sign such
an agreement and the Russian supplier and Iranian customer are working on its commercial aspects".
He stressed that Bushehr's nuclear fuel "will be delivered as soon as the deal for its return is signed,
and Russian specialists will do all they can to ensure that this generating set is ultra-modern and ultra-safe in
operation".
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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