Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEEA) declared that Tehran is developing a project on the development of civilian nuclear activity.
The project will need some 15 years and Russian nuclear specialists will take an active part in the modernization of Iran’s nuclear industry.
The nuclear deal concluded in Vienna on July 14 as part of the Joint Plan of Action between the 5 + 1 countries and Iran opens the way for the development of civilian nuclear infrastructure in this country. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) grants all signatory countries, without discrimination, the right to conduct research and to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and also provides for the possibility of cooperation in this domain.
Thanks to the Iranian nuclear deal, world leaders have seen Iran in a new light, considering it a partner, which allows them to intensify cooperation with Iran, of course under a watchful eye. of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Two directions of development
The coming years will significantly change Iran’s infrastructure. In particular, the country must meet the requirements of the Joint Action Plan, which in fact reflect “the concerns of the IAEA,” the expert explained.
The project on the development of peaceful nuclear activity is expected to encompass activities related to the Joint Plan of Action, as well as the development of nuclear technologies in general.
In the first case, this initiative will transform the Fordow uranium enrichment plant into a research institute for basic science and stable isotope production. The heavy water reactor at Arak will be modernized to facilitate nuclear research for peaceful purposes and the production of radioisotopes, required for medicine, agriculture and industry, including tests of fuel elements for power plants nuclear.
Other challenges remain, including the export of excess heavy water in international markets. Yet Iran’s projects extend beyond the Joint Action Plan. Thus, Tehran plans to build 12 atomic blocks for nuclear power plants and medical facilities where nuclear technologies will be used.
“We are planning to embark on the path of development and localization of the atomic industry and hope to succeed,” Salehi said.
The realization of such a project will require the creation of special structures – groups and companies to create the necessary commercial base, and thus guarantee a certain profit. This project, slightly modifiable every five years, is essential to ensure a stable development of Iran in the way of contemporary nuclear technologies.
