Iran's fist nuclear power plant, the Bushehr NPP, cannot be completed this fall as scheduled but a year later, RIA-Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a Russian subcontractor.
Russian contractor Atomstroiexport is building the one-billion-U.S. dollar project in Iran's Gulf port of Bushehr, which was expected to be launched this year. But Russia has accused Iran of delaying the payment and has postponed delivery of nuclear fuel.
"Today we can say with all certainty that it would be unrealistic to put Bushehr into operation this fall," RIA quoted Ivan Istomin, head of the Energoprogress company, as saying.
"Even if Russia delivers the first portion of nuclear fuel to Bushehr tomorrow, it would be impossible to commission the facility in six months," said Istomin, whose company was assembling key operation facilities for the plant.
Iranian officials has claimed earlier this month that the project could be ready in three or four months.
Moscow has claimed that Tehran had only paid 60 percent of the required funding by the fourth quarter of 2006, and had completely stopped payments in mid-January. Iran denied any funding problems and blamed Russia for delays.
