Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9
By Dalga Khatinoglu, Trend:
Iran doesn't intend to inject uranium hexafluoride (UF6) into IR8 centrifuges while the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 continue, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said, Fars News agency reported.
Salehi said on Dec.9 that currently about 20,000 centrifuges have been installed in Iran and 9,000 of them are inactive.
Iranian officials have announced repeatedly that the country will need 190,000 SWU (separative work units) in eight years.
Currently, Iran possesses 19,000 IR1 and 1,000 IR2 centrifuges. Uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas has been pumped into these centrifuges for enrichment.
IR1 centrifuge capacity for uranium enrichment is 0.8-1.2 SWU, IR2 - 4-5 SWU. There are also more powerful centrifuges, for example, IR8 capacity is 24 SWU.
Salehi also rejected the Iran's intention to transfer its enriched uranium abroad, saying that Iran wants to have full-circle of nuclear fuel production inside the country.
Iran's top nuclear official also said that the possibility of reaching a nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1 is "very high".
Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council comprising of China, France, Russia, Britain, the US Plus Germany) sealed an interim deal in Geneva on November 24,2013 to pave the way for the full resolution of the West's decade-old dispute with Iran over the country's nuclear energy program.
The Geneva deal took effect on January 20 and expired on July 20. However the two sides agreed to extend their talks for four months till Nov. 24 to reach a permanent deal on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
During a meeting held on November 24, 2014, the sides agreed to extend the talks for further seven months.
Dalga Khatinoglu is an expert on Iran's energy sector, head of Trend Agency's Iran news service
Follow him on @dalgakhatinoglu