Iran begins loading fuel into core of its first nuclear plant

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ASSAM : Indian displaced villagers wait at a relief camp at Bijni village in Chirang District, some 240km from Guwahati, the capital of India's northeastern state of Assam. Large troop deployments appear to have stemmed an outburst of ethnic violence in n

ran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear energy plant in the southern city of Bushehr, state media reported Tuesday, reports CNN.
"Iran's peaceful nuclear programmes and activities are going on as scheduled," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
"The Bushehr nuclear power plant is one of the major projects of Iran which will help produce alternative forms of energy," he said.
Tehran says the electricity produced by this power plant will add to the national power supply.
The United States and other world powers fear Iran is developing a nuclear programme for military purposes. Iran has denied those allegations and says the plant will be used to generate electricity.
"Political pressures, like sanctions and other pressures, will not impede our progress on development and will not keep our nation from exercising their inalienable rights to peaceful use of nuclear technology," Mehmanparast said.
The Bushehr plant opened in late August when engineers loaded 163 fuel rods into the reactor under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is expected to produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity once all the fuel rods are loaded into the core of the reactor.
The construction of the Bushehr plant started in 1975 when Germany signed a contract with Iran. Germany, however, pulled out of the project following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.