Tehran: Iran’s first nuclear power plant test run started here Wednesday, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported.

The test involved the use of non-nuclear material instead of enriched uranium.

The trial began as  the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Gholamreza Aqazadeh and chief executive officer of Russian nuclear company Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko made a visit to the plant in southern Iran.

“We’re celebrating Bushehr’s pre-commissioning which means we are getting closer to the launch of the plant,” Aqazadeh said. “This virtual fuel testing was successful.”

The reactor’s operation is expected to begin later this year. In the first stage of operation, it will provide Iran’s southern provinces with 500 megawatts of electricity, Aqazadeh said.

“We hope that in a few months it will supply electricity to this region,” he added.

Source: Indo-Asian news Service