ID :
190308
Wed, 06/22/2011 - 09:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/190308
The shortlink copeid
N. Chief: Iran Ready to Export Uranium Enrichment Plants
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's top nuclear official announced Tehran's preparedness to export enriched uranium, build uranium enrichment plants abroad and advise countries importing nuclear power plants on how to write contracts protecting their rights.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety in Vienna on Tuesday, Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi Davani said Iran is ready to export uranium enrichment facilities and enriched uranium to those countries which are a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and only under IAEA supervision.
Abbasi said that Iran does not currently have plans to export enriched uranium, but plans to use its domestic production for its own needs.
"But if a country party to the NPT needs enriched material, we are ready to provide it, through IAEA and with IAEA verification" of peaceful use, the AEOI head said.
Abbasi-Davani said he had "no specific country in mind." But he said Iran has experience and has managed to build up nuclear technology expertise "despite 30 years of sanctions."
He said countries with uranium should take Iran's experience into account and "not sell their natural resources so cheaply," that is, they should sell enriched material instead of natural uranium.
He declared that "all Iran's nuclear activities are under full-scope safeguards and exclusively for peaceful purposes."
Abbasi also said the delay in starting up the Bushehr nuclear power unit had been a "very good experience" and "very useful" because it had allowed Iranian technicians to practice unloading and reloading nuclear fuel.
AEOI announced in November 2010 that first fuel loading in the 1-GW-class, Russian-design reactor was completed. But in February, AEOI and Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation whose subsidiary Atomstroyexport is building and starting up the Bushehr unit, said fuel had to be unloaded because a cooling pump had broken and metallic pieces had entered the reactor coolant system, where they could damage the fuel elements.
After that process and the pump repair, first criticality was achieved at Bushehr on May 8.
Abbasi said it was a good decision to unload the fuel because Iranian experts could verify there was no damage to the fuel.
He said it was "a clear proof that we attach importance to nuclear safety even if we are under tremendous pressure to put the plant into operation."
Iranian officials have announced that the plant would start operation in August.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety in Vienna on Tuesday, Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi Davani said Iran is ready to export uranium enrichment facilities and enriched uranium to those countries which are a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and only under IAEA supervision.
Abbasi said that Iran does not currently have plans to export enriched uranium, but plans to use its domestic production for its own needs.
"But if a country party to the NPT needs enriched material, we are ready to provide it, through IAEA and with IAEA verification" of peaceful use, the AEOI head said.
Abbasi-Davani said he had "no specific country in mind." But he said Iran has experience and has managed to build up nuclear technology expertise "despite 30 years of sanctions."
He said countries with uranium should take Iran's experience into account and "not sell their natural resources so cheaply," that is, they should sell enriched material instead of natural uranium.
He declared that "all Iran's nuclear activities are under full-scope safeguards and exclusively for peaceful purposes."
Abbasi also said the delay in starting up the Bushehr nuclear power unit had been a "very good experience" and "very useful" because it had allowed Iranian technicians to practice unloading and reloading nuclear fuel.
AEOI announced in November 2010 that first fuel loading in the 1-GW-class, Russian-design reactor was completed. But in February, AEOI and Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation whose subsidiary Atomstroyexport is building and starting up the Bushehr unit, said fuel had to be unloaded because a cooling pump had broken and metallic pieces had entered the reactor coolant system, where they could damage the fuel elements.
After that process and the pump repair, first criticality was achieved at Bushehr on May 8.
Abbasi said it was a good decision to unload the fuel because Iranian experts could verify there was no damage to the fuel.
He said it was "a clear proof that we attach importance to nuclear safety even if we are under tremendous pressure to put the plant into operation."
Iranian officials have announced that the plant would start operation in August.
