Expert: Delays in financing construction of Bushehr NPP will affect its launch

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Delays in financing works of Russian specialists in constructing the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran can affect its launch planned for September, Deputy Director Generation of the Institute of Safe Development of Nuclear Power Sector of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE RAN) Igor Linge told reporters.

“If one does not pay for a long time, works are to be suspended. Russia as well can have grounds for suspending its activity on the construction ground in Bushehr,” he said.

Ayt the same time, Linge pointed out that it was inadmissible to mix problems in financing and shift in the schedule of first criticality and the statement that “Iran started all this in order to gain the uranium fuel first of all.” Linge is sure that there are no political premises of the situation: “As soon as financial relations between the countries come to normal, the works on the construction ground will come to normal too,” the expert stressed.

As REGNUM reported before, on February 19 the Russian side announced there has been no financing of works in construction of the Bushehr NPP for more than a month. At the same time, first criticality of the first nuclear reactor is scheduled for September, and first uranium delivery for March. Some experts say that the delay in financing is connected with Iran’s intention to receive nuclear fuel. Later on February 19 Iran denied the statement of the Russian side about break of the schedule of financing.