AEOI Chief: Iran, China to Broaden Nuclear Cooperation

TEHRAN (defapress)- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that Tehran and Beijing are resolved to broaden their cooperation in different fields, in particular the nuclear energy area.

News ID: 72555

Date: 20 September 2018 - 16:25

Salehi's remarks came after his meeting with Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) Zhang Kejian in Vienna on Wednesday.

The head of the Iran's Atomic Energy Organization called for cooperation between Iran and China on the construction of small and medium-sixed reactors in Iran.

Holding the meeting on the sideline of the 62nd Annual Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in the Austrian capital, Salehi and Zhang discussed strategic nature of bilateral relations between the two countries, support for JCPOA against American unilateralism, promising cooperation between the two countries in nuclear fields, including power plants, training and nuclear security.

Zhang called the relations between Iran and China of strategic nature, and highly regarded the meetings between the presidents of the two countries.

Salehi, for his part, expressed hope that the field of nuclear cooperation will be of interest to the two sides.

"The project for the modernization of Arak heavy water research reactor is progressing and we welcome the effective cooperation of China in this regard," he noted.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was cooperation in the production and construction of small and medium-sized reactors in Iran. Salehi said Iran is willing to use small and medium-sized reactors, due to climatic conditions, instead of using large reactors.

The Chinese side also focused on two areas of trade and energy in bilateral relations, reaffirming China's support for JCPOA.

Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) Zhang Kejian added "Arak modernization project is a multilateral JCPOA project and we highly regard progress in this regard".

In relevant remarks in July, Salehi underlined the country's capability to increase uranium enrichment output to 190,000 SWUs in 10 months.

Salehi told the state TV that the country has completed the construction of an advanced factory specializing in the manufacturing of centrifuge rotors in order to enhance its uranium enrichment capacity without violating the limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal.

He added that the project became operational in line with a recent decree by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei to develop a 190,000-SWU uranium enrichment capacity.

Salehi said instead of completing the project over the next seven or eight years, the country had been building the facility in the course of the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world countries.

“The factory was, however, not made operational,” said the AEOI chief.

Salehi added that the facility can make rotors for around 60 centrifuges of the IR-6 design on a daily basis, noting that one such centrifuge can provide an enrichment capacity of 10 SWUs.

The official estimated that with this factory, Iran will be able to reach the 190,000-SWU capacity within 10 months.

“The (Leader) was totally informed and we provided him with the necessary information at the time. And now with his order, this factory has gone on stream,” he added.

“We have done everything in line with the regulations,” Salehi said.

The country has done nothing in violation of the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s Safeguards Agreement, the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - which authorizes inspections - or the 2015 nuclear deal itself, he noted.

Salehi also said that efforts to acquire natural uranium has resulted in a stockpile of as much as 950 tons.

He said Iran imported 400 tons since the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, bringing its stockpile to between 900-950 tons - up from 500 tons.

Salehi said that's enough for Iran to reach its longtime goal of 190,000 centrifuge machines to enrich uranium, stressing the need for more natural uranium to maintain this capacity.

SWU is the standard measure of the effort required to separate isotopes of uranium during an enrichment process. 1SWU is equivalent to 1 kilogram of separative work.

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