TEHRAN, Dec 18: Iran expects its first nuclear power plant will produce electricity at full capacity in around a year after passing a “critical stage” with the delivery of fuel from Russia, a top official said.

The 1,000 megawatt plant in the southern city of Bushehr could come on line within three months at up to 200 megawatts before being cranked up to full capacity nine months later, said Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation.

“We have passed a key and critical stage now” with the delivery of the fuel on Monday from Russia, he was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA agency.

“We could see the start-up in a two or three months’ time. We wait for the final agreement which is due within a month from now,” he said, without specifying what this agreement entailed.

“As of Farvardin, (the Iranian month beginning end-March) we will run some equipment.

“In the start-up stage, we will begin at a low capacity of 100 or 200 megawatts and in about nine months we will reach the full capacity of 1,000 megawatts.”

Saeedi said that all the main equipment at Bushehr had been installed by Russian contractor Atomstroiexport and the plant was “95 percent finished.”

“The reactor, turbine, generators and pumps have been tested.

The remaining five percent includes a series of secondary equipment... like ventilation systems or some cables.” “There is no barrier in the way of operations in Bushehr.”

The United States and Russia said that Moscow’s delivery of the nuclear fuel for the plant showed that Tehran did not need to use the sensitive process of uranium enrichment to make its own fuel.

But Saeedi said Iran wanted to use a mix of fuel produced abroad and at home. “We should adopt a policy that enables us to produce a part of the (needed) fuel.” Tehran also announced on Monday that it was working on a new 360 megawatt nuclear power plant, revealing for the first time that it would be located in the western Khuzestan province.—AFP