Tehran developing 150 nuclear projects: Iran nuclear chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Mar 2023 00:06

AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami revealed that around 150 nuclear projects are currently under development; some of which will be presented to the President on April 9th.

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) speaks at the 66th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022 (AP Photo/Theresa Wey)

Today Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) chief Mohammad Eslami revealed that around 150 nuclear projects are currently under development; some of which will be presented to the President on April 9th.

"More than 150 scientific, innovative, technological, creative, research and industrial projects have been registered in all sectors of the nuclear industry as accomplishments ... On April 9 this year, with the participation of President Ebrahim Raisi, we will present a number of these projects that received the highest marks," Eslami was quoted by Tasnim news agency.

Earlier today, Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi expressed Iran’s interest in developing energy cooperation with Russia, including developing peaceful nuclear and renewable new types of energy, in an interview with Sputnik.

Russia had helped Iran build the Bushehr power plant, which was equipped with a 1,000 MW. Currently, Russia is developing a second power unit in the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The first power unit was built back in 2011, and the third unit is anticipated to be built after a contract for which has been signed.

The construction of power units at the Bushehr nuclear power plant is the largest joint Russian-Iranian project.

The first block of the nuclear power plant, completed in cooperation with Russia, was connected to Iran's national power grid in September 2011.

Back in 2021, when only one power unit was operational, Iran was reportedly saving about 80 million barrels of oil by generating electricity at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Back in early February, IAEA inspectors claimed that two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges for enriching uranium to 60% were interconnected in a manner that "differed significantly" from that declared by Iran in its report to the IAEA.

Tehran denied the allegations contending that they don't strive for nuclear weapons and that it has made no attempts to enrich uranium beyond 60% purity. Iran's government noted that "unintended fluctuations... may have occurred" during the enrichment process: such that the concentration was an unintended accumulation within the network of pipes connecting the hundreds of fast-spinning centrifuges used to separate the isotopes.

In early March, Iran agreed o restore cooperation with the IAEA after Grossi's visit to Tehran.

In a joint statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran, the latter expressed readiness to provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues, referring to uranium traces at undeclared sites.