Iran's Bushehr n-plant shuts over 'technical failure'

Tehran: A "technical failure" led to the temporary shutdown of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said in a statement.

The power plant was "temporarily" shut down on Sunday and disconnected from the Iranian national electricity network after a one-day prior notification to Ministry of Energy, the AEOI said.

The AEOI added that it expects to solve the issue in "a few days", after which the plant will be reconnected to the network, reports Xinhua news agency.

Due to the shutdown, some power shortages can be expected in the next "three or four days", an official at the Tavanir electricity distribution company said in an interview with the state TV.

The Bushehr power plant, located 17 km southeast of the city of Bushehr and under the cooperation with Russia, began supplying electricity in September 2011.

In November 2014, Iran and Russia signed a cooperation agreement to add a second and third reactors to the plant, which are scheduled to be inaugurated in 2024 and 2026, respectively.