Bushehr fuel to be loaded Sep 16

A senior Iranian lawmaker says nuclear fuel will be loaded into the long-delayed Bushehr power plant on September 16 to make the nuclear reactor operational, Press TV reported.

"Nuclear fuel will be injected to the Bushehr nuclear power plant on September 16," IRNA quoted Spokesman for Energy Commission of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Emad Hosseini on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, the Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi had said that the needed fuel would be transferred to the nuclear facility's building next week.

Hosseini said that Salehi had elaborated on the latest details of the Bushehr power plant in a meeting with members of the Energy Commission of Majlis.

"Mr. Salehi explained the latest developments in the nuclear reactor and answered questions in that regard."

He argued that Bushehr nuclear facility's start-up will be a positive proof to the ineffectiveness of US-backed imposed sanctions on the country.

Western corporations began the construction of the Bushehr facility in the 1970s. However, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Western companies reneged on their commitments and pulled out of the project due to political pressure from Washington.

Iran then turned to Russia to complete the project. In 1992, Tehran and Moscow signed a deal to complete the construction of the nuclear power plant.

The Bushehr plant was originally scheduled to be completed in 1999, but its start-up has been repeatedly delayed.