Iran plans to start the initial phase of its first nuclear power plant in early September, Press TV reported, citing the head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization, Fereydoun Abasi-Davani.
The Bushehr power plant, located in southern Iran, will at that time join the national grid, operating at 40 percent capacity, Abasi-Davani said, according to the state-run news channel.
The official start of the 1,000-megawatt Russian-built facility in full is scheduled to take place by December, the official added in the report published late yesterday on Press TV's website.
Safety at the plant will be observed "at the highest level" especially in light of the accident at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant and its impact on public opinion, Abasi- Davani said.
