Salehi Inspects Fuel Enrichment Complex In Natanz

Tehran, Oct 23, IRNA – Vice-President and Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi conducted a two-day inspection tour of Martyr Ahmadi Roushan enrichment complex in Natanz, Isfahan Province. During his visit, Monday and Tuesday, he examined production situation of the complex and held technical sessions with managers and experts of the enrichment complex. Attending Martyrd Qashqaei pilot complex, Salehi outlined the latest technical condition of the new generation of the advanced centrifuge machineries and offered the required recommendations to the managers and experts there. Outlining perspective of the nuclear industry in the country and importance of preservation of achievements and while stressing on unity and solidarity under the status quo, he underlined the importance of preserving principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s system. Salehi had said earlier that the country needs 20 new nuclear power plants like the Bushehr plant. 'Bushehr Power Plant currently produces 7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year,' Salehi said.'Some countries have declared their readiness to construct new nuclear power plants in Iran.' In other remarks earlier this week Salehi sassed Tehran and Moscow are set to finalize an agreement they have already reached on the construction of two nuclear power plants in the Islamic Republic. “The conclusion of an agreement with Russia on the construction of two power plants is in its final stages,” Salehi said Monday, expressing hope that the deal will get off the ground in the near future. The AEOI head said that the construction of one of the nuclear power plants will start in the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2014), while work to build the other one will get underway in two years’ time. According to Salehi, each nuclear power plant will have the capacity to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity. Russia completed the construction of Iran’s first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr, which had begun in 1975 by German companies, but was halted following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) became officially operational and was connected to Iran’s national grid in September 2011, generating electricity at a 40-percent capacity. The 1,000-megawatt plant, which is operating under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012. In September 2013, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant for two years./end