Iran to be 4th stable isotope producer in world

EghtesadOnline: Iran Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said given the conclusion of cooperation deals with Russia, Iran will be the fourth stable isotope producer in the world.

News ID: ۷۷۳۵۱۵

27 January 2017

Talking to IRNA, he added that two cooperation deals were signed during his recent trip to Russia, one on stable isotope and the other on the roadmap for producing fuel.

Noting that the agreement on stable isotope production will be implemented in Fordo site, the official said that the material has industrial and medical applications and is currently being produced in three points in the world; Russia, the US and Europe’s Urenco.

Iran will be the fourth point in the world with signing the cooperation deal with Russia, Kamalvandi said.

An isotope is an atom whose nuclei contain the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. Isotopes are broken into two specific types: stable and unstable. These unstable isotopes are commonly referred to as radioactive isotopes.

There are approximately 300 known naturally occurring stable isotopes.

As to the agreement on the roadmap for producing fuel, he said that the roadmap to produce fuel in Iran is important because Iran’s objective behind enrichment is achieving fuel.

Describing producing power plant fuel as a very complicated process, he said that Iran managed to produce 20 percent enriched fuel for research reactor, but power plant fuel has numerous complexities and Russians have good experience in the field.

Currently, Russia is carrying out 40 percent of the world’s enrichment and it intends to raise it to 60 percent in 2030, the official said.

Bushehr Power Plant is continuing its operations, he said, noting that two other power plants are scheduled to be built in cooperation with Russia and primary payment to the tune of 185 million euros has earlier been made.