Iran says its first nuclear power plant to start in summer 2008

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-31-2007 10:02

Iran says its first nuclear power plant will begin operation in the summer of 2008.

The reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, 2006. (AFP/File/Behrouz Mehri)

The announcement came just two days after Iran received a second delivery of nuclear fuel from Russia.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks during a meeting in Moscow, 13 December 2007. (AFP/File/Alexey Sazonov)

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the Bushehr power plant will be launched at half capacity next summer.

Mottaki says Russia will have completed sending a total of 82 tonnes of nuclear fuel before the launch. After months of delay, Russia began shipping nuclear fuel to Bushehr in mid-December.

Iranian officials say they plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity through nuclear energy in the next two decades.

Editor:Du Xiaodan