The installation began on Oct. 26 and should take up to three months,
officials said. They said Bushehr would generate energy in February 2011 in
a project supervised by International Atomic Energy Agency, Middle East Newsline reported.
The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization had scheduled to install the fuel
rods in August. But the effort was hampered by such mishaps as a leak
of a reactor pool as well as the introduction of the Stuxnet computer worm.
"Political pressures like sanctions will not impede our progress and
will not keep our nation from exercising its inalienable right to the
peaceful use of nuclear technology," Mehmanparast said.
Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi said Bushehr would be connected
to Iran's electricity grid in February 2011. Salehi, also director of the
Atomic Energy Organization, said installation of the fuel rods marked the
"most sensitive process" of Bushehr.
"Today is an auspicious day and a turning point in the process of the
Bushehr nuclear plant launch, which means that the most sensitive process
has started," Salehi said.
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