Russia delays Iran nuclear plant to 2008

Russia has no chance of finishing Iran’s first nuclear power station before autumn 2008, a year behind schedule, a Russian subcontractor helping to build the plant told RIA news agency on Wednesday. Russia has used the Bushehr nuclear plant as a lever in relations with Tehran which chilled this year after a row over missed payments for building the plant in southwest Iran.

Completion of Bushehr is likely to trigger a sharp reaction from the United States, which fears Iran’s nuclear programme would be strengthened by the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel.


Atomstroiexport, the Russian state firm building the plant, said a shortage of payments from Iran was undermining confidence in the Bushehr project.

“Today we can say for sure that to launch the Bushehr nuclear plant this autumn is unrealistic,” said Ivan Istomin, the head of a subcontractor called Energoprogress that is working for Atomstroiexport, RIA reported.

“A realistic time frame for starting the reactor… is moving to autumn 2008,” he said.

Reuters