On December 16, 2007 Russia delivered the first batch of fuel to the Bushehr reactor in Iran. The shipment was reported to consist of 180 fuel assemblies (163 main and 17 reserve), which contain uranium enriched to up to 3.62%. Apparently, this will be the entire shipment - 163 fuel assemblies correspond to one reactor core. It was reported earlier that each assembly includes 312 fuel elements.

The fuel was produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant. It was ready for shipment as early as April 2005, but the delivery was delayed by the controversy that surrounded the project as well as by delays in construction.