Iran to begin operation of nuclear power plant

The first plant set to start on Wednesday after a series of delays

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updated 12:01 p.m. ET Feb. 22, 2009

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's official news agency says the country's first nuclear power plant will begin preliminary phase operation on Wednesday after a series of delays.

The Sunday report by the IRNA agency says "pilot stage operation" of the power plant will start on Wednesday during a visit by the head of Russia's state Rosatom Atomic Corporation, Sergey Kiriyenko.

The long-awaited 1,000-MW power plant, which was built in the city of Bushehr with the help from Russia under a $1 billion contract, was expected to become operational in fall of 2008.

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Some 700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia to operate the plant.

Tehran also plans to build a 360-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin, in the southwestern Khuzestan province.