Iran's Atomic Energy Organization: Arak Reactor to Be Operational Within 4 Years

The spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated that the Arak heavy water reactor will be operational within three to four years, adding that Iran is looking to increase its yellowcake reserves. Behrouz Kamalvandi spoke to reporters in Tehran on Wednesday, June 1, stating that China and the United States are participating in the redesign of this reactor, with the main contract signed with the Chinese side. According to an agreement between Iran and six world powers signed in July 2015 in Vienna, Tehran must redesign the Arak reactor so that it cannot produce plutonium, which is used to make nuclear weapons. The redesign and removal of the reactor core, along with concrete pouring, reduction of centrifuges at the Natanz and Fordow sites, and the exchange of Iran's enriched uranium for raw uranium or yellowcake were prerequisites for the implementation of the nuclear agreement with the six world powers. The spokesman of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency mentioned that the first phase of the redesign is the basic designs carried out by our engineers, and immediately after the agreement signed in Vienna, this contract was handed over to the Chinese side in Beijing. He stated that this design phase will be reviewed within six to eight months, and after that, we will enter the detailed design phase, which will be the most important part and will take one year. Mr. Kamalvandi described the final stage of the Arak reactor redesign as the 'engineering and execution phase,' which, according to predictions, will take four to five years, of which one year has already passed, and in about three to four years, the Arak reactor will be operational. The Arak heavy water plant was built 25 years ago, and its production increased from eight tons to 20 tons per year in the second phase. Iran has always emphasized that this 40-megawatt reactor produces heavy water for cancer treatment and other medical isotope uses. According to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran's heavy water reserves must not exceed 90 tons at any time. Tehran has previously sold its excess heavy water reserves to various countries, including the United States. In another part of his interview, the spokesman mentioned the increase in Iran's yellowcake reserves, stating that the purchase of this product from Kazakhstan is on the agenda, and this country is waiting for the process to be finalized. Mr. Kamalvandi added that Britain, as one of the five countries involved in the nuclear agreement with Iran, 'had a return after the US elections.' His reference was to London's changing policy regarding the purchase of yellowcake. Yellowcake refers to the concentrated uranium oxide used for uranium enrichment. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, announced last March that Tehran had referred a request to purchase 950 tons of yellowcake from Kazakhstan to the secretariat of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, and the implementation of this agreement is only awaiting Britain's approval. He stated that if this agreement is implemented, 300 tons of this yellowcake will be converted to UF-6 gas and sold back to Kazakhstan.