"Pressure [in the primary circuit] is to be increased to 250 kilos per square centimeter next week," he said.

"The hydro-testing phase will be followed by the reactor's cold and hot operational testing, after which the equipment is to undergo examination. In other words, the testing and commissioning operations are proceeding without any deviation from the schedule agreed upon between the Iranian client and the Russian contractor," Novikov said.

Rosatom is currently preparing power unit 2 at the Rostov nuclear power plant for physical launch. Its hydro-testing was started in August and the hot and cold operational testing in October. The unit is currently undergoing equipment examination, and then the Russian technical standards watchdog Rostekhnadzor is supposed to authorize its loading with nuclear fuel.

If the operations on the Bushehr nuclear power plant proceed in a similar manner, its physical launch is expected in February or March 2010.

At the same time, Bushehr is a unique project with equipment integrated in it from another project, and therefore there is a risk that the equipment that was installed on the site 30 years ago by another contractor may perform unpredictably, which may require longer testing and commissioning operations, Atomstroyexport told Interfax.

Bushehr is the first Iranian nuclear power plant, whose projected capacity is 1,000 mWt. Atomstroyexport is acting as the general contractor in the project.

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