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Iran starts to fuel up 1st nuclear power plant Source: (Agencies)  Iran said on Saturday it has started loading fuel into its Russian-built first nuclear power plant, in the face of stiff opposition from world powers to its controversial atomic program.
After more than three decades of delay, engineers finally began loading the Russia-supplied fuel into the plant in the southern port of Bushehr, in the presence of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, a statement by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization
said.
Russia has built and supplied the fuel for the Bushehr plant, work on which was initially started by German company Siemens in the 1970s, before Iran's Islamic Revolution.
" Today is a great day and we have entered the physical launch of the Bushehr plant "
Chief of Russian atomic agency Sergei KiriyenkoState television showed live pictures of Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi and his Russian counterpart looking on at what appeared to be a fuel rod suspended from the ceiling.
"Today is a great day and we have entered the physical launch of the Bushehr plant," Fars new agency quoted Sergei Kiriyenko, the chief of Russian atomic agency, Rosatom, as telling reporters when the fuel transfer began.
"It is an important event and we announce that Russia carried out all its commitments as to the commissioning of the Bushehr power plant ... We are pleased with the commissioning of the plant considering the 36-year wait."
Salehi said it was a "memorable" day for the plant, given its history of "ups and downs."
"We thank Mr. Kiriyenko, the Russian government and the (Russian) nation for accompanying the Iranian nation. The Russians have immortalized their names in Iran's history."
On Friday, Iranian Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Ali Shirzadian said the one-billion-dollar plant's actual commissioning would come in October or November when the electricity it generates connects to the national grid.
The much-anticipated launch comes despite the fact that Moscow, a long-time nuclear ally, has hardened its position on Tehran's nuclear program.
In June, Russia backed a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment, the most controversial part of its atomic program and which the West believes is aimed at making nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran strongly denies.
Iran says it is enriching uranium to power nuclear reactors so it can eventually generate electricity of around 20,000 megawatts.
Despite being OPEC's second-largest crude oil exporter and having the world's second largest gas reserves, Iran insists it needs nuclear power for when its fossil fuels eventually run out.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Bushehr plant would keep Iran "within the regime of non-proliferation."
Russia has supplied 82 tons of fuel for Bushehr, but plans to take back the spent material to avoid any misuse.
But fresh doubts over Bushehr were raised after Moscow voted for the latest U.N. sanctions, followed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev commenting that Tehran was close to attaining the potential to build a nuclear weapon.
This triggered an angry response from Iran, as Moscow's position has always been that Tehran has the right to peaceful nuclear energy.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, accused Moscow of delaying Bushehr's start-up, saying "it is hard to believe that the technical issues continue to delay the completion of the plant over the past 15 years."
Bushehr has always been seen as a potential target in the event of a military strike by Iran's arch-foes the United States and Israel which have never ruled out military action against Tehran's nuclear program.
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