Russia to boost staff at Iran's nuclear power plant

The Russian state company building Iran's first atomic power station said on Friday it would increase personnel at the plant by at least 25 percent as it readies to start up the nuclear reactor.

Under a $1 billion construction contract, Russia has already made deliveries of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr plant on the Gulf coast in southwest Iran.

"The nuclear power station at Bushehr is entering a new phase. Atomstroyexport is increasing its efforts to bring more personnel to work on the station," the Russian contractor said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

"The main technology for the station has already been installed, so the construction work is being concluded while the activisation work is getting under way," Atromstroyexport said.

This new phase of the project -- which involves readying the nuclear reactor for start up -- requires that staff be increased to more than 2000 workers from the current 1600, it said.