Tehran, Iran, Oct. 24
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
The purity of the heavy water at Iran’s Arak nuclear reactor (aka IR-40) has improved from 75.99 percent to 95.99 percent, said Presidential Office Director Mohammad Nahavandian.
Noting that Iran has already exported heavy water to the United States and Russia, the official said plans are made to sell more the product to other countries, the president’s official website reported October 24.
“This means an undisputable victory for Iran in attending the global economy in nuclear energy,” he stressed.
Underlining the progress of redesign operations at the nuclear facility, he said the nuclear activity at the IR-40 is “international and peaceful”.
IR-40 was a hot issue of debate in Iran’s nuclear talks with world powers which culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) last year.
Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to redesign the IR-40 reactor, with assistance from the P5+1, to minimize its plutonium production and avoid production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Iran also agreed to remove the reactor core or calandria and fill it with concrete to render it unusable, and to export all spent fuel within one year of its removal from the reactor.
Accordingly, the reactor core was filled with concrete and removed, and room has been made for the new reactor to be installed and start operating.