Iran To Launch UO2 Production Line In 3 Months

Tehran, Oct 22, IRNA – Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said Tuesday that production line of the enriched Uranium Oxide (UO2) will be launched in the next three months to feed Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran. Speaking to IRNA, Salehi said that research and pilot phases of producing enriched uranium oxide have been successfully completed so far. “We produce three types of fuel in Isfahan nuclear site (central Iran). One is for Tehran’s reactor which is in form of fuel plate (ceramic) with 20-percent enriched uranium and the other two are to be used in Bushehr’s reactor and the Arak heavy water reactor,” Salehi added. He said that fuel for the Arak reactor ”is natural uranium oxide while fuel for the Bushehr reactor is enriched uranium oxide which is put inside fuel rods in form of tablets (ceramics). Each fuel tablet weighs about 15 grams, Salehi said, adding that fuel for the Bushehr reactor is enriched about 3-4 percent./end