Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 17 /Trend T.Konyayeva, T.Jafarov/
A nuclear fuel plate production center will be launched at the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) and tested within five months, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told journalists on Monday, IRNA reported.
Last September, Ex-Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced that Iran had started the construction of a nuclear fuel plate and the work would be finalized in a year.
So far, Iran has domestically produced 70 kilograms of 20-percent enriched uranium, Salehi proceeded to say.
In November 2009, Iran announced about its plan to build ten new enrichment facilities in its territory.
In June, Head of Iran' Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani said that Iran is going to install 164-centrifuge cascades of new generation soon both in Fordo and Natanz nuclear facilities and to triple the production of 20-percent enriched uranium.
In September, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran will not have to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supplies the TRR with fuel.
Early October, Iranian FM's spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Iran would continue producing 20-percent enriched uranium until the West refuses to supply fuel to the TRR.
Mehmanparast noted that the newly operated Fordo plant will speed up the fuel production.
Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, Iran's stated goal, or provide material for bombs if processed much further. The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has denied the charges, saying its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity and producing isotopes to treat medical patients.