The St Petersburg Izhorskiye Zavody machine-building company has begun production of equipment for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant. The company will produce equipment for the primary circuit of the reactor: the reactor vessel, the steam generator casing, the head for unit 1, as well as internals. The work will take three years, and equipment will be delivered late in 2001. Company specialists will help with installation. The first advance payment on the contract was received by the company late in December. Izhorskiye Zavody, which finished 1998 with losses, can now pay salaries on time. Nevertheless, the company is facing a 10% cut in its 18 000-strong workforce.
