Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant shut down over 'technical fault'

TEHRAN: Iran's only nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down over a "technical fault", the country's atomic energy body said in a statement.

The Bushehr plant and its 1,000-megawatt reactor, on Iran's southern coast, were completed by Russia after years of delay and officially handed over in September 2013, raising regional concerns in what is an earthquake prone area.

The shutdown comes as Tehran and world powers attempt to revive a hobbled 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear programme in Vienna talks, which an EU negotiator said Sunday were moving "closer to a deal".

That agreement is stanchly opposed by Israel, which Tehran has accused in the past of sabotage against its nuclear enrichment efforts.

"Following a technical fault at Bushehr power plant, and after a one-day notice to the energy ministry, the plant was temporarily shut down and taken off the power grid," the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said on its website around Sunday midnight.

The statement said the plant will be reconnected to the grid and the issue will be resolved "in a few days", but did not elaborate further.

Iran's national electricity company had in a statement on Sunday called on Iranians to minimise consumption during peak hours due to a "predicted rise in temperature" and "limitations in power generation due to ongoing repairs" at Bushehr.

The company said that the repairs may continue until the end of the week, which is Friday in Iran.

In 2016, Russian and Iranian firms began building two additional 1,000-megawatt reactors at Bushehr. Their construction was expected to take 10 years.

Iran's Gulf Arab neighbours have often raised concerns about the reliability of the facility and the risk of radioactive leaks in the event of a major earthquake.

In April, Bushehr province was shaken by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake, leaving five people injured but causing "no damage" to the nuclear complex, according to authorities.

Also in April, Iran accused Israel of being behind a "terrorist" attack on its Natanz uranium enrichment plant, after a "small explosion" at that facility's electricity distribution centre.