Valentin Mezhevich, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Natural Monopolies:

 — The physical startup of Busher NPP has become a momentous event for the whole world

On August 21, the delivery of fresh nuclear fuel to the reactor compartment of Busher NPP (the Islamic Republic of Iran) was started under supervision of the IAEA inspectors. This event symbolizes the end of the test stage for all systems of the plant, which was constructed with the participation of Russian specialists, and the beginning of the stage of the power unit physical startup. The event was attended by Vice-President of Iran, Head of Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salekhi, General Director of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kirienko and Head of RF Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision Nikolay Kutyin, who personally got acquainted with the progress of works performed at the plant.

Head of Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salekhi expressed his confidence in the high potential of the cooperation between Russia and Iran in the nuclear power field. According to him, the implementation of the nuclear plant construction is very important for Iran, and the NPP operation will provide security of energy supplies to the Islamic Republic of Iran and create conditions for further industrial and economic development of the country. Heretofore Salekhi declared that “according to the decision of the Parliament of Iran, in the nearest 15–20 years we shall gain annual production equal to 20 thousand mW and Russia would have a priority in the implementation of this task”. “Busher NPP project is a proof of the efficiency of the international cooperation, the mechanisms of which are actively used by Rosatom in the promotion of Russian high technologies”, general Director of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said. “The plant construction completely complies with the international norms, legislation and the non-proliferation regime and is implemented under the IAEA supervision.”

Valentin Mezhevich, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Natural Monopolies:

The physical startup of Busher NPP has become a momentous event for the whole world. However, there is a lot of political content in the discussions referred to this topic. I would like to pay attention to the technical aspect of this event, because we are actually speaking about a unique work.

No wonder they say that it is much easier to start the work all over again rather that to finish it after someone else. And Russia indeed has settled down to such work: I would like to remind that the construction of the first plant in Iran was started by Germany, and then it was stopped and put to freeze.

Therefore, Russian specialists had not only to construct a facility on a new site, but also to integrate the experience accumulated by that time by Russian nuclear power industry into the existent site with remained buildings and equipment. Thus, they had to change the layout design of the reactor compartment constructed by the Germans and to develop a new turbine design. This project has become a serious challenge for Russian specialists and all the tasks have been successfully fulfilled.

Upon that it should be mentioned that all the works were implemented under the IAEA strict supervision and it has become the main guarantee of compliance with the non-proliferation regime which at present does not cause any problems for the world community.