After a dispute of nearly two years, Iran and Russia have
signed an agreement to complete the Bushehr nuclear reactor in 2006.
Representatives from Iran and Russia signed an accord on Sunday meant to
ensure the delivery of nuclear fuel to the 1,000 megawatt light-water
reactor. The agreement also set a date for the launch of Bushehr's
operations in 2006 and called for the acceleration of construction this
year.
"Today, a very important development occurred, and that was the protocol
on returning nuclear fuel, which we signed together," Russian Federal Atomic
Energy Agency director Alexander Rumyantsev said at the signing ceremony at
Bushehr. "Over the next few weeks many Russian technicians will arrive in
Bushehr."
The ceremony was delayed by a day because of last-minute disagreements.
The disputes were said to have concerned the timetable for the Russian
delivery of nuclear fuel, the Iranian return of the spent nuclear rods and
the start of the $1 billion Bushehr facility.
Neither Rumyantsev nor Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh,
director of the nation's atomic energy agency, disclosed details of the
three-part accord. But they said all of the details of the shipment of
nuclear fuel have been concluded.
Rumyantsev, who said the facility would be launched at the end of 2006,
toured Bushehr and examined the facility's nuclear fuel storage area and
reactor core. The fuel storage area was said to have been constructed in
accordance to international standards. Iran has pledged that Bushehr would
come under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"We are planning the physical launch [of Bushehr] at the end of 2006,"
Rumyantsev said after his tour of Bushehr. "The fuel will be delivered about
six months before this. I promised my Iranian colleague that Russia will do
everything to implement the agreed schedule for the launch of the station."
Russian officials said Iran and Russia would share the cost of
transporting and storing the nuclear fuel, produced by Russia's TVEL. They
said Bushehr would receive 100 tons of nuclear fuel to launch operations.
Rumyantsev said the reactor zone was "in good condition" and that the
assembly of Bushehr has been largely completed. He said the project
contained successes and failures, deeming the storage facility and machine
room as major achievements. The Russian officials also called for the
reinforcement of the Bushehr reactor's high-velocity protection system.
"It is necessary to urgently complete work on the concrete," Rumyantsev
said. "Our builders understand this. Everything will be done."
In contrast, Rumyantsev said counted as a failure the delay in
delivering equipment required for the Bushehr reactor. He also warned of
problems with the assembly of the control system.
"We are concerned by the delay of the water-treatment system,"
Rumyantsev said. "There has been a failure to deliver equipment. This is our
Achilles heel, but we will do everything. There will be problems with laying
the entire complex of cables and with the assembly of the control system.
But these tasks can be resolved."
Russian officials said about 500 Russian engineers would arrive in
Bushehr over the coming months to help complete the reactor. They said the
Russian engineers and technicians would arrive from the Kalinin nuclear
power plant.
"The plant is 80 percent ready," Orgenergostroy institute
director-general Elgudzha Kokosadze, responsible for the Russia's share of
the Bushehr project, told the Itar-Tass news agency. "The construction work
is finished. Assembly and electrical installation work is going on."
