Russia's Iran reactor 'delayed'

[Snoshi]

Looks like the Russians are waking up.. Or at least i hope so.

Russia's Iran reactor 'delayed'

Russia has said a nuclear power station it has been building at Bushehr in southern Iran will not be completed by the end of this year as planned.

Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said the delay in launching the plant, which will have two pressurised water reactors, was for "technical reasons".

Correspondents say Russia's decision to delay the opening is clearly political.

On Sunday, Russia and the US both warned Iran that time was running out for talks over its nuclear programme.

Speaking after talks in Singapore, US President Barack Obama said was unfortunate that Iran still seemed unable to say yes to a "creative" international plan to allay suspicions that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.

His Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, said he still hoped to persuade Tehran to send its low-enriched uranium to Russia, where it would be further processed to fuel an Iranian research reactor, but warned that "other means" could be employed if progress was not made on the issue.

Iran has failed to give a clear response.

The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to unveil its latest report on Iran on Monday.

The report will cover findings by inspectors who recently visited the newly-revealed uranium enrichment facility near Qom. Teheran says its nuclear programme is for entirely peaceful purposes.

'Serious results'

Russian officials had said earlier this year that the Bushehr plant would be completed before 2010, but on Monday Mr Shmatko said that although progress had been made, there would be no launch.

"We expect serious results by the end of the year, but the launch itself will not take place," he told reporters. "The engineers have to reach their findings."

"The building of the Bushehr station is defined absolutely 100% by technological conditions."

The Bushehr nuclear plant was first planned with German help in 1974, but was shelved after the Islamic Revolution. Russia took up the project in 1995, and after numerous delays a timetable for construction was finalised two years ago.

Any nuclear fuel from the plant will be brought from and returned to Russia so that it cannot be used for a weapons programme.

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says the decision to delay the completion of Bushehr is clearly political - an expression of Russia's frustration at Iran's failure to accept the offer now on the table from the international community.

Russia has other levers over Tehran - it is also delaying the delivery of what could prove to be a crucial air-defence system for Iran, our correspondent says.

The contract for the S-300 surface-to-air missiles was signed two years ago, but Moscow says nothing has been delivered so far.

In recent weeks, top Iranian officials have called for the highly-sophisticated missiles to be handed over, our correspondent adds.

Guarantees

Speaking on Sunday after talks with Mr Obama, President Medvedev said he was unhappy with the pace of progress on the enrichment deal offered to Iran.

Mr Obama said Iran had failed "so far at least" to respond positively to a deal to send enriched uranium abroad for reprocessing. Russia and France have offered to do this.

Under the plan brokered by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, and agreed by Russia, the US and France, Iran would send about 1,200kg (2,600lb), or 70%, of its low-enriched uranium, to Russia by the year's end for processing.

Subsequently, France would convert the uranium into fuel rods for use in a reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.

This is seen as a way for Iran to get the fuel it needs, while giving guarantees to the West that it will not be used for nuclear weapons.

Iran has raised "technical and economic considerations" with the IAEA and has missed deadlines to respond.

Iran revealed the existence of the Fordo enrichment facility, which is being built about 30km (20 miles) north of Qom, in September.

Mr Obama's administration has set an end-of-year deadline for serious progress towards a comprehensive solution.

Correspondents say Russia and China are reluctant to agree to new Security Council sanctions, so a coalition of countries, including the EU, might take action themselves.

Iran is already subject to UN sanctions, including financial scrutiny and restrictions on arms imports, and for keeping uranium enrichment activities at its Natanz plant secret.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8362023.stm

[Universals]

'The Russians have never told us the truth and just followed their own interests - the Bushehr power plant will never be completed by Russia,' Mahmoud Ahmadi-Biqash, spokesman of the parliamentary foreign policy and security commission, said.
.
A lot is going on behind the scene.

[Alienfreak]

A lot is going on behind the scene.

Seems like the great leader is rather pissed off by Russia atm. Lets see how long it takes him to realize how important Russia is for them.

[Walker-69]

'The Russians have never told us the truth and just followed their own interests - the Bushehr power plant will never be completed by Russia,' Mahmoud Ahmadi-Biqash, spokesman of the parliamentary foreign policy and security commission, said.
A lot is going on behind the scene.

I think the Bushehr plant will not be completed because it will be hit by GPS-guided 500kg bombs right before it goes online. Anyhow, we have argued this thing to death over the past few years, so now we just have to wait and see. And we certainly will see. Maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe...

[bhramos]

Iranians will defenatly finish it.
if not Russia, China Or Pakistan will help to complete it.

[Alienfreak]

If they could do that easily, why would they pay the Russians good money for it in the first place?

Easy answer: They can't.

[Universals]

Iranians will defenatly finish it.
if not Russia, China Or Pakistan will help to complete it.

Chinese nuclear plants where built in conjuction with the Russians, French and Canadians and to a lesser degree the Japanese.

so I don't know if the Chinese can independently complete the power plant... same goes for Pakistan.

[Clockwinder]

I'm starting to see pieces coming together here. The US and Israel have been strangley non-aggressive regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions (albeit pursuing irrelevant and toothless diplomatic solutions). Is their stance because they know Iran does not, in fact, pose a threat? Just wondering.

[bhramos]

China and Pakistan are only the 2 countries which can help Iran in this situation, other then Russia, these are countries which helped NorthKorea in past to build N-reactors.
how much chance of North Korea helping Iran???

[Flamming_Python]

I don't like our tactics with Iran. We need to stop their nuclear program on the one hand; but its imperative that we prevent Israel/America from attacking it at all costs.

[Universals]

I don't like our tactics with Iran. We need to stop their nuclear program on the one hand; but its imperative that we prevent Israel/America from attacking it at all costs.

At all cost? why ? Iran is the capital of Russia?

[SBL]

.
A lot is going on behind the scene.
Between this and the S-300 deal, it does suggest a falling-out between the two. Though I'm not sharp enough to pick up on where things might be headed, or why.

[Afro-European]

Russia delays launch of Iranian nuclear power plant

MOSCOW, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's first nuclear power plant, developed by Russia in Bushehr, will not be launched this year as planned (http://en.beta.rian.ru/world/20091026/156592297.html), Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday.
"We expect major results by the end of the year, but the launch will not take place," Shmatko said citing technical reasons.
Shmatko said earlier the $1 billion plant in southern Iran would be launched in 2009.
Russia has frequently delayed the launch of the plant in the Islamic Republic, citing financial or technical problems. Iran is in the center of an international dispute over its nuclear ambitions and subject to UN sanctions.
However, Shmatko said that "Russia is committed to its obligations to Iran."
Russia completed nuclear fuel deliveries for Bushehr in January 2009, a process usually carried out six months before the launch of an atomic power plant.

[0rphie]

China and Pakistan are only the 2 countries which can help Iran in this situation, other then Russia, these are countries which helped NorthKorea in past to build N-reactors.
how much chance of North Korea helping Iran???
I am just curious how are the relations between Iran and Pakistan?

[F16]

I think the Bushehr plant will not be completed because it will be hit by GPS-guided 500kg bombs right before it goes online.
All nuclear energy plants are constructed to sustain a direct hit of much more powerful munitions than just 500kg HE. They have special system which automatically turns off the reactor making him unactive. Of course, you can hit a nuclear plant, but there will not great explosion like a nuclear warhead goes off. I thought you know such simple facts.

[TR1]

Methinks this is just a bunch of hot air and wishfull thinking. Reactor will be finished, but maybe later.

[Alienfreak]

All nuclear energy plants are constructed to sustain a direct hit of much more powerful munitions than just 500kg HE. They have special system which automatically turns off the reactor making him unactive. Of course, you can hit a nuclear plant, but there will not great explosion like a nuclear warhead goes off. I thought you know such simple facts.

A reactor never will go off like a nuke.

But still a good hit of a 500kg bomb will leave it unusable.
Several hits will make building a new one more attractive than using the old one.

[CaptMorgan68]

I don't like our tactics with Iran. We need to stop their nuclear program on the one hand; but its imperative that we prevent Israel/America from attacking it at all costs.


You know to be completely cynical in case of an attack on Iran Russia could actually benefit. First obviously the high oil prices. Although once the global economy goes south the oil prices might eventually collapse. However if the Iranians do manage to mine the straight of Hurmuz then the commercial tanker insurance rates for ships that used to go through there will shoot up through the roof. Trade flow via Russian rail infrastructure will suddenly look attractive. This could potentially become a driver of growth for Russian economy. Persians have always been natural Russian competitors in the Middle East and Central Asia. Russia does not need nuclear armed Iran. By having Iran attacked Russia could remove potential future threat without having to fire a single shot by itself and actually benefit economically. Inevitably the US image in the middle east would suffer even further and that could also be a good opportunity for Russians to exploit. They have been trying really hard to position themselves as a more balanced alternative to the US in the Middle East for the last couple of years.

[Nizark]

Bushehr and any other russian nuclear projects in Iran are nothing more than pawns for teh russians to use whenever the missile defense thing pops up. The russians aren't that dumb

[void]

Why exactly would the reactor, if finished, be hit by a "500kg HE bomb"? You guys do realise it is a design which is wholly unsuitable for producing weapons grade material (Uranium or Plutonium). The Bushehr reactor and designs like it (VVER-1000 which is a PWR) is totally irrelevant when it comes to nuclear weapons.

[Walker-69]

Why exactly would the reactor, if finished, be hit by a "500kg HE bomb"? You guys do realise it is a design which is wholly unsuitable for producing weapons grade material (Uranium or Plutonium). The Bushehr reactor and designs like it (VVER-1000 which is a PWR) is totally irrelevant when it comes to nuclear weapons.

All right, I accept that you know more about this stuff than I do. I must do more research on the issue. All I know is that Osiraq and Assad's reactor in North Syria were treated with 500 kg HE bombs. For some reason, Bushehr has also been on the list of potential targets in Iran, in case of a war.

I do not know the subtleties between different reactors so I need to do research.

You gave me the right words to google and start with: VVER-1000 and PWR. Thanks.

[void]

All right, I accept that you know more about this stuff than I do. I must do more research on the issue. All I know is that Osiraq and Assad's reactor in North Syria were treated with 500 kg HE bombs. For some reason, Bushehr has also been on the list of potential targets in Iran, in case of a war.

I do not know the subtleties between different reactors so I need to do research.

You gave me the right words to google and start with: VVER-1000 and PWR. Thanks.

The Osirak reactor was an MTR plutonium producing reactor which used HEU. Bushehr is a standard VVER-1000 Russian design which is very widespread and used LEU, and compared to the Osirak design or RMBK design it is not very useful for the military.

I have no idea what design the Syrian reactor was.

[Walker-69]

All right, I accept correction when someone can argue their case properly. Here is something I found out about the Bushehr reactor:

The Russians have offered an attractive price, given their surplus manufacturing capacity and need for foreign exchange. The design of the reactor is proven, is simple, and has been particularly successful when adapted to international safety standards, as in the case of the two smaller versions built in Finland. Those two Loviisa reactors have exhibited record levels of reliability and performance.

We got the same kind of reactor in Finland.

Listen up void. If you are right about this matter... I'll just admit that I was wrong! Can you deal with that? p-)

[void]

All right, I accept correction when someone can argue their case properly. Here is something I found out about the Bushehr reactor:

The Russians have offered an attractive price, given their surplus manufacturing capacity and need for foreign exchange. The design of the reactor is proven, is simple, and has been particularly successful when adapted to international safety standards, as in the case of the two smaller versions built in Finland. Those two Loviisa reactors have exhibited record levels of reliability and performance.

We got the same kind of reactor in Finland.

Listen up void. If you are right about this matter... I'll just admit that I was wrong! Can you deal with that? p-)

Ummm, I wasnt criticising you. I was just pointing out that Bushehr isnt some kind of nuclear weapons producing factory. Its not a fast breeder reactor or similar, which produce loads of Plutonium for nukes. The main concern regarding Iran is the centrifuge arrays they have built to enrich the fuel which goes into the reactor. These can indeed be used to produce weapons grade HEU. Russias proposal is that Iran gets its HEU from Russia, which already has tons of spare capacity for this kind of thing. Then Iran gets nuclear power, and the rest of the world can rest easy knowing that Iran isnt funneling using their centrifuges to make weapons grade HEU.

note: weapons grade HEU is even more enriched than reactor grade HEU. So Iran couldnt use the HEU from Russian to build a bomb without further enrichment.

[Walker-69]

It's all cool. One of my weaknesses is that I don't really understand the nuclear process too well. But I see what you are saying and hopefully I will see the bigger picture more clearly then.

If hostilities begin, I can still see Bushehr becoming a target. It might be rather easy to put it off-line, just to slow down the economy of Iran: a reactor that is not connected to the grid becomes a pressure cooker and then it needs to be shut down, if I am correct. But now I am rambling.

Thanks void, I think we are in more agreement now.

[dracon49]

I read yesterday that inspectors are coming again to Syria to inspect the site that was bombed by the IAF(accrding to foreign reports). For sure there will not be any evidance because they got rid of it.

[Afro-European]

Russia close to completing Iran's nuclear plant

MOSCOW, November 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is close to finishing the construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant and is currently making final adjustments, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on Tuesday.
Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday that the launch of the Bushehr nuclear plant in southern Iran may not take place before the end of this year, as earlier planned.
"We are fully committed to completing this project. Russia has already supplied fuel for the reactor that has been built, and currently start-up and adjustment work is underway. Close attention is being paid to ensuring the safety of the reactor's work," Nesterenko said.
"Upon completion of all necessary operations and tests, the reactor will be launched within the timeframe agreed with the Iranian side," he said.
Nesterenko said that Russian and Iranian specialists have yet to resolve certain technical problems.
He stressed that Russia's work on the project is not affected by the international controversy over Iran's nuclear program.
Russia has frequently delayed the launch of the plant in the Islamic Republic, citing financial or technical problems. Iran is at the center of an international dispute over its nuclear ambitions, amid Western suspicions that the program has military goals, and is subject to UN sanctions.
The $1 billion plant in southern Iran was expected to be launched in 2009.
Nesterenko also said that Moscow is complying with its international commitments in its military and technical cooperation with Iran.
"Russia has for many years been carrying out military and technical cooperation with Iran with the strict observance of its international commitments," Nesterenko said in response to a question about the supply of S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
The spokesman said Russia is supplying only defensive armaments that have no potential to destabilize the situation in the region.
A top Iranian military official last Friday urged Russia to honor its bilateral military contract and deliver the promised S-300 surface-to-air missiles (http://en.beta.rian.ru/russia/20091112/156801026.html), according to the Mehr news agency.
Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi said Russia was six months behind schedule with deliveries of advanced air-defense systems.
Russia signed a contract with Iran on the supply of S-300 air defense systems to the Islamic Republic in December 2005. However, there have been no official reports on the start of the contract's implementation since then.
The possible deliveries of S-300 missiles to Iran have aroused serious concern in the West and in Israel.
The latest version of the S-300 series is the S-300PMU2 Favorit, which has a range of up to 195 kilometers (about 120 miles) and can intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles at altitudes from 10 meters to 27 kilometers.
It is considered one of the world's most effective all-altitude regional