Iran’s R&D Projects on Good Track

R&D activities are going well in various fields, specially in the development of new types of centrifuges, Kamalvandi said on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of National Day of Nuclear Technology on Wednesday.

He maintained that with the restrictions lifted after the country took the 5th step in reducing its JCPOA commitments, the nuclear industry could carry out any research and development (R&D) activity that is needed.

“We have reached the production capacity which is almost equal to the capacity before JCPOA even without increasing centrifuges.”

"We can produce new types of centrifuges, and our production capacity is now the same as before the JCPOA, and several of our centrifuges have reached a phase where we can industrialize them," he added.

"We have a daily production capacity of 60 advanced centrifuges," Kamalvandi said, adding "With our current enrichment situation, production above 250,000 SWU is definitely achievable, but our goal is to reach one million SWU."

Elsewhere in his remarks, he pointed to the advanced centrifuge assembling hall, and said, “Construction operation of the hall has been completed which is able to manufacture 60,000 advanced centrifuges daily. Now, we enjoy this capacity and it can be said that our situation in this regard is the same as before JCPOA.”

In relevant remarks on Tuesday, AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi announced that efforts to modernize Arak heavy water reactor continue, adding that construction of Bushehr 2 and Bushehr 3 nuclear power plants is also being pursued seriously.

“Modernization and completion of Khondab (Arak) heavy water reactor is underway based on the contents of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” Salehi said.

He added that expansion of activities related to discovering and extraction of raw nuclear materials, the fuel cycle, R&D, uranium enrichment, development of the unit 2 and unit 3 of Bushehr nuclear power plant and production of nuclear medicine for patients are being pursued seriously and strenuously.

Salehi said that the Iranian experts at the AEOI had 122 new achievements last year (which ended on March 19).

Salehi’s Assistant Ali Asqar Zare'an had said last September that the AEOI had completed redesigning the heavy water reactor in the Central city of Arak, named IR40.

"The conceptual, basic and detailed designing of the reactor has ended and we have entered the stage of building and providing equipment according to the schedule for final launch," Zare'an said.

He expressed the hope that the AEOI would be able to declare good news about the IR40 reactor soon in future.

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