Iran’s nuclear plant to go on line in January

TEHRAN - Iran’s nuclear power plant of Bushehr will be connected to the national electricity network in January, Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali-Akbar Salehi said Saturday.

Salehi told official ISNA news agency that all fuel rods would be installed into the Russian-built 1,000-megawatt reactor by January.

Iran is mired in a dispute with the international community over its nuclear programme, which its critics have worried it is using for a weapons programme.

Tehran insists it only interested in producing electricity. The government aims to eventually add 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power to the country’s network.