Bushehr Gives Russia Chances to Build More Stations in Iran

March 2, 2005

Weapon Program: 

  • Nuclear

Russia has rather good chances to build more nuclear power plants in Iran, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iran Alexander Maryasov told Itar-Tass.

"In order make our cooperation successful, we must, of course, round off the construction of the first generating unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant within the time limits that were agreed with the Iranian side. This is bound to enhance Iran`s trust in Russia and in the work of Russian specialists. I believe this will create favorable conditions for the conclusion of new contracts," he stressed.

"The Iranian side is offering us to jointly think of preparations to build one or two more generating units. Such an agreement was reached during Rosatom Chief Alexander Rumyantsev`s recent visit to Iran," Maryasov stated.

A joint working group will be formed, he added, within which Russian specialists will help the Iranian side determine technologically and documentarily the site for the possible construction of at least one more generating unit.

"Russia is playing the role of trailblazer, since it is building the first-ever Iranian nuclear power plant. I think the way will be paved for the participation of other countries in the construction of Iranian nuclear power stations after the situation around Iran relaxes and if Tehran will continue to cooperate actively, effectively and transparently with the International Atomic Energy Agency, will successful complete its negotiations with the `European Trio`. We, in turn, are prepared to give Iran our assistance, on condition that the Iranian side will steadfastly observe its international commitments. In this case, we believe, there will be no obstacles to further cooperation," the Russian ambassador stated.

The documents on the return to Russia of the spent nuclear fuel and on deliveries of fresh fuel to the Bushehr plant, which the two sides signed last Sunday, are very important, he added. They have put an end to all the fabrications, conjectures and speculations on this subject, Maryasov pointed out.

Today, `there are no more grounds for any cock-and-bull stories and speculative statements on this subject, which had been quite numerous in the past`.

The signing of these documents paves the way to the tranquil completion of the first generating unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, he stressed.

"These documents are of great political importance, because Iran`s consent to return the spent fuel to Russia does away with the allegations that the Islamic Republic of Iran could use the nuclear materials for some other undeclared purposes. The delivered fuel will be fully controlled by IAEA inspectors: from the very beginning of its shipment to its storage in special sealed depots. The IAEA will be responsible for constant, round-th e-clock monitoring, and it will be impossible to use these materials for any other purposes, but fueling the nuclear power plant," the Russian diplomat stressed.

The Sunday Russo-Iranian agreements, signed at Tehran, prove that Iran is prepared to honor its international commitments," Maryasov stated.

"This is to a definite extent a trust-building step, because Iran has declared its determination to return the spent fuel, which is now recorded in the signed documents," he concluded.

Russia-Iran documents on nuclear fuel discourage allegations Tehran, March 2, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA -- The documents envisaging the the spent nuclear fuel and the supply of fuel to the nuclear power plant, signed by Russia and Iran, `put an end to all sorts of allegations, inventions and speculations on this subject`, Alexander Maryasov, Russian ambassador plenipotentiary to the Islamic Republic of Iran, told Itar-Tass in an exclusive interview.

"Now there is no reason for all sorts of falsehoods and circumstantial pronouncement on this subject that were churned out in large numbers. The road to calm work to conclude the construction of the first power-generating set at the Bushehr nuclear power plant opens with the signing of these documents," he said.

"The documents signed are of vast political importance, since Iran`s readiness to return the spent nuclear fuel removes the reasons for speculations about the possible use of nuclear materials by Iran in some undeclared purposes. The fuel supplied, at all the stages, will be under the control of inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), all along, from the beginning of the deliveries to the storage in a special facility that will be sealed. The IAEA will be conducting the monitoring around-the-clock, so the withdrawing of materials for some purpose other than the use at the nuclear power plant will be out of question," Maryasov said.

The Russo-Iranian arrangements reached in Tehran on Sunday attest to Iran`s readiness to fulfill its international obligations, Maryasov said.

"In some degree this is a confidence-building measure, as Iran says that it is now documentedly stated that it returns the spent fuel," he said.

Alexander Rumyantsev, the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Atomic Energy, Rosatom, and his Iranian counterpart Gholam Reza Aqazadeh signed on February 27 the Intergovernmental protocol on the removal of the spent nuclear fuel, amendments to the fuel contract and the confidential document on the schedule of fuel supply to the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The documents signed open the way for fuel supply to the power plant in Bushehr. Supplying nuclear assemblies, Russia, upon their use, will be taking the fuel back. This will fully preclude the possibility, slim as it is, for the use of the nuclear power plant for weapon-grade plutonium production. Fuel for nuclear power plants will result from reprocessing.

The contract for the construction of a power station at Bushehr was concluded in 1995. Russia will receive just over one billion dollars for the construction of the power station, which so far consists of only one power-generated set with a water-cooled water-moderated VVER reactor.

The first power generating set is to go into operation in late 2006.

The first consignment of fuel for it, about 100 tonnes, has already been manufactured and is stored at Novosibirsk.