Iran starts building home-made atomic plant

Tehran, Mar 7: Iran has started construction of a domestically built nuclear power plant, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was quoted as saying today.

Iran's first atomic power station is being built by Russians but is not yet complete. Iran, embroiled in a row with the West over its nuclear programme, has previously said it planned to build power stations on its own.

''At the demand of the president (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), the construction of the first domestic nuclear power plant with capacity of 360 MW has started,'' Atomic Energy Organisation chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying. He did not give further details.

''The enemies know they cannot weaken the will of our people to obtain peaceful nuclear energy and that is why they make it look like there are different opinions in the country,'' he said.

Ahmadinejad has faced criticism by some of his more moderate opponents for making anti-Western speeches, which the critics say have exacerbated Iran's standoff with the West.

Iran's dispute with Western nations focuses on its determination to enrich uranium, a process which Tehran says will only be used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants. The West says it is part of a covert plan to build atomic bombs.

Russia has said it will delay starting up Iran's first nuclear power station because Iran is behind in payments, although Tehran denies payment delays.

The 1,000 MW plant being built at the port of Bushehr in southwest of Iran had been due to start up in September. The first fuel supplies from Russia for the plant were due to be delivered this month.

Iran, the world's fourth biggest oil producer, says it wants to build a network of nuclear power stations to prepare for the day when its oil and gas reserves run out and to maximise exports in the meantime.

Reuters

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