12.09.2011
Bushehr NPP (the Islamic Republic of Iran), being under completion by Atomstroyexport (a company of ROSATOM) hosted the first power ceremony. On the part of Iranian leadership the ceremony was attended by Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Fereidun Abbasi Davani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, and Minister of Energy Majid Namju. The Russian side was represented by Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Sergey Shmatko, Director General of ROSATOM Sergey Kirienko, and President of Atomstroyexport Alexander Glukhov.
Minister of Energy of Russia Sergey Shmatko addressed not only Bushehr NPP construction participants but also millions of Iran citizens.
“With the plant startup, your country steps into a new technological epoch, an era of the peaceful use of atom. Power of just one unit of Bushehr NPP accounts for about 3% of the national electricity generation and I wish you that in future this indicator will only increase,” he stated.
Director General of ROSATOM Sergey Kirienko in his welcoming address termed the Bushehr NPP project a unique one.
“During its implementation the Russian process equipment was integrated with the building structures designed by Germans. More than 12,000 tons of German equipment were integrated into the Russian project. Equipment for the plant was supplied by ten countries,” he noted.
Sergey Kirienko emphasized, there is no other nuclear power plant in the world that has been under such permanent and thorough supervision on the part of the IAEA. “Bushehr NPP is an example of exercising a right of any country to use civil nuclear power,” he said.
Sergey Kirienko noted that in spite of a difficult political situation, the Russian side fulfilled its obligations of the nuclear power plant construction in Iran.
As a part of the ceremony, the Russian and Iranian sides signed two protocols. The first concerns participation of Bushehr NPP in stress tests performed by ROSATOM. The second one refers to participation of the Russian personnel in operation of Bushehr NPP at the initial stage.
Alexander Glukhov (President of Atomstroyexport JSC) on behalf of the NPPgeneral contractor assumed that Bushehr NPP is a unique project not having any analogues in the world.
“While constructing a nuclear plant the main priority are safety matters, therefore all technical decisions made together with Iranian party were in favor of safety of the project. All procedures and tests to put Bushehr NPP into operation were carried out carefully and according to international requirements,” Alexander Glukhov stated.
First kilowatts of electricity generated by Bushehr NPP have already entered the Iranian national power grid, however, the Bushehr first power program will continue until the reactor is brought to a contracted nominal power. An additional analysis of all plant’s functional systems performance will be conducted basing on first results of the plant’s connection to the grid.
Bushehr NPP has been constructed in compliance with international requirements in force, the legislation and the non-proliferation regulations and is implemented under IAEA supervision.
Reference:
JSC "Atomstroyexport", the company of State Corporation "Rosatom", is completing construction of Bushehr NPP started in 1974 by the German concern Kraftwerk Union A.G. (Siemens/KWU). On August 24, 1992 the Agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy was signed between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of Islamic Republic of Iran, and on August 25, 1992 the Agreement on construction of nuclear power plant in Iran was concluded. In January, 1995 the Contract was signed for completion of construction of Bushehr NPP Unit 1. In 1998 the Amendment to the Contract was signed according to which Atomstroyexport undertook to complete construction of Bushehr NPP Unit 1 of 1000 MW installed electric power with V-446 reactor plant on a “turn-key” basis. Actual time counting of Bushehr NPP construction by the Russian side started from 1998. In 2001 the main process equipment deliveries to the NPP began.
In 2009-2010 hydraulic tests of the NPP equipment and tests of the steel containment were held. In July, 2010 hot run of the nuclear steam generating plant was performed. Physical start-up of Bushehr NPP began on August 21, 2010: delivery of fresh nuclear fuel into the NPP reactor building was carried out under supervision of IAEA inspectors. On May 8, 2011 the nuclear steam generating plant was brought to minimum controllable power level at the NPP power unit. With the beginning of these works the self-sustaining reaction of nuclear fuel fission was launched in the reactor core of the power unit of the first nuclear power plant in Iran. On September 3, 2011 first kilowatts of electricity generated by Bushehr NPP entered the Iranian national power grid.
