OREANDA-NEWS. August 26, 2010. The cooperation between Russia and Iran in the sphere of nuclear energy has high perspectives. This information was announced by Head of Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salekhi during the beginning of Busher NPP physical startup on August 21.

The delivery of fresh nuclear fuel to the reactor compartment of Busher NPP is held under supervision of the IAEA inspectors. According to the press service of Atomstroyeksport 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 power unit physical startup. The event was also attended by General Director of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko 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.

Representative of General Contractor on Busher NPP Construction – Vice-President of Atomstroyeksport OJSC Vladimir Pavlov informed the authorities of Russian and Iranian nuclear power industry about starting operations which were implemented at the plant at that moment. He told them about the stages of project realization and distinguished its uniqueness in the world’s practice. According to him, Atomstroyeksport, with the help of Russian and foreign partners, has managed to perform the unprecedented integration of home equipment into the construction unit implemented on the basis of the German project; the construction of the first Iranian NPP has realized a large variety of innovative and technical ideas and know-how.

During the ceremonial part of the event, Vice President of Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Representative of Board of Directors and General Director of Nuclear Power Production and Development Company (NPPD Co) Mohammad Ahmadian and President of Atomstroyeksport CJSC Dan Belenky signed a commemorative certificate on the beginning of Busher NPP physical startup stage.

According Ali Akbar Salekhi, the implementation of the nuclear plant construction is very significant for Iran. 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 will have a priority in the implementation of this task”.

General Director of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said that Busher NPP project was a proof of efficiency of the international cooperation, the mechanisms of which had been actively used by Rosatom in the promotion of Russian high technologies. “The plant construction completely complies with the international norms, legislation and the non-proliferation regime and is implemented under the IAEA supervision,” Kirienko stressed.

It should be noted that Atomstroyeksport CJSC finishes the construction of Bush NPP which was started in 1974 by Kraftwerk Union A.G. (Siemens/KWU) German Concern. In 1980 the concern broke the contract with the Iranian customer due to the decision of German Government to join American embargo on equipment supplies to Iran. On August 24, 1992 the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy and on August 25, 1992 they concluded an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran. In January 1995 they signed a contract on implementation of the construction of Busher NPP power unit No.1. In 1998 there was signed a contract addendum according to which Atomstroyeksport CJSC should finish on a turnkey basis the construction of power unit No.1 with installed electric capacity of 1,000 mW and the V-446 reactor system. So, actually the year of 1998 shall be considered the starting date of Busher NPP construction by the Russian party. In 2001 the supplies of basic technological equipment to the NPP were started.

At the end of November 2009 the hydraulic testing of the primary circuit – the most important event of the final construction stage — was successfully implemented. The test of the plant equipment under the pressure, which almost by 40% exceeded the operating mode, proved security and high safety factor of Busher NPP technological systems. In February 2010 the strength and sealing testing of the sealed enclosure system was successfully implemented. On June 7, 2010 one of the main stages of power unit commissioning — hot operational testing of the nuclear steam supply system — was performed. That stage involved testing and check of operation of the reactor system’s and support technological systems’ equipment in the design basis conditions. On the basis of the hot operational testing results an inspection and evaluation of the first circuit primary equipment and preparation of the equipment to the plant physical startup were performed.