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Russia vows to upgrade Bushehr plant

04 June 2011 18:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the country has placed the upgrading of the capability of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran on its agenda, APA reports quoting Press TV.

â€œOn May 8 [2011], the [Bushehr] nuclear power plant’s first phase was launched with [its] fullest controllable capability (25 percent of the reactor’s capability),â€ ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency on Saturday.

â€œCurrently, measures are being taken, in line with the schedule, to gradually enhance the plant’s capability,â€ he added.

State Russian enterprise, Atomstroyexport is currently responsible for the construction of Bushehr -- Iran’s first nuclear power plant, which is expected to be connected to the electricity grid.

The Russian official underlined that the plant’s construction and its coming on stream â€œare in complete accordance with the current international regulations and are being carried out under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.â€

Iran says needs nuclear energy to meet its growing domestic demand for electricity and to provide fuel for the Tehran research reactor, which produces medical isotopes for cancer treatment.