Iran Plans to Install 50,000 Centrifuges - Atomic Agency Head

Apr 10, 04:52 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA website

Tehran, 10 April: Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Reza Aqazadeh said here Tuesday [10 April] that Iran's plan was not installation and launch of just 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz nuclear site. "We have plans to install 50,000 centrifuges," he told IRNA in an interview.

Asked about reasons he had not declared inauguration of 3,000 centrifuges at a ceremony held at Natanz on Monday to mark National Day of Nuclear Technology, he said he was concerned that mentioning numbers would cause ambiguity that Iran has plans for 3,000 centrifuges only.

"This is while we have made investment and planning for 50,000 centrifuges at Natanz.

"When we say we have entered industrial scale enrichment, (it means) there is no way back. Installation of centrifuges will continue steadily to reach a stage where all the 50,000 centrifuges are launched," he stated.

"I was concerned the foreign media would misuse the issue and pretend that Iran's nuclear programme would end up in installation of just 3,000 centrifuges," the AEOI head said.

On future plans of his organization, Aqazadeh added, "The AEOI intends to develop, optimize and update nuclear technology in the future."

In response to a question on an international tender for construction of two 1,000MW power plants, he said, "We will announce the tender for the two power plants within the coming days." He added that Iran owed its progress on peaceful nuclear energy to the guidelines of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamene'i.

"Sometimes it was very difficult to make a decision but the Supreme Leader adopted wise decisions on such circumstances."

On a ceremony held at Natanz nuclear site at the central province of Isfahan on Monday on the occasion of the National Day of Nuclear Technology, it was announced that Iran has entered industrial scale of production of nuclear fuel.

On 9 April last year, Iranian scientists produced uranium enriched to the level of 3.5 per cent in its Natanz facility and the country became self-sufficient in production of nuclear fuel thanks to the efforts of its young talented experts.

Following this scientific and technical achievement, the Islamic Republic of Iran along with Brazil was recorded as the 8th country possessing nuclear fuel cycle in the world.

Earlier, only the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council -- Russia, China, Britain, France and the United States -- plus Germany and Japan had monopoly on nuclear fuel cycle.

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