Iran announces finds of raw uranium
Source: Agencies |
February 24, 2013, Sunday
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IRAN has said that it has found significant new deposits of raw uranium to feed its nuclear programme and has identified sites for 16 more nuclear power stations - just days before talks with Western powers over its disputed atomic programme.
The Iran Atomic Energy Organization report cited by state news agency IRNA yesterday said the deposits were found in "southern coastal areas" and had trebled the amount outlined in previous estimates.
There was no independent confirmation but with few uranium mines of its own, Western experts had previously thought Iran may be close to exhausting its supply of raw uranium.
"We have discovered new sources of uranium in the country and we will put them to use in the near future," Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, head of the AEOI, was quoted as saying at Iran's annual nuclear industry conference.
The timing suggested Iran, by talking up its reserves and nuclear ambitions, may hope to strengthen its negotiating hand at talks in Kazakhstan on Tuesday with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
The West says the production demonstrates Tehran's intent to develop a nuclear weapons capability, an allegation the Islamic republic denies.
The enriched uranium required for use in nuclear reactors or weapons is produced in centrifuges that spin uranium hexafluoride gas. This is derived from yellow cake, a concentrate from uranium ore discovered in mines.
Iran's stock of reserves of raw uranium stood at around 4,400 tonnes taking into account discoveries over the past 18 months, IRNA quoted the report as saying.
The report also said 16 sites had been identified for nuclear power stations, including coastal areas of the Gulf, the Sea of Oman, the Caspian Sea and Khuzestan province.
The Iran Atomic Energy Organization report cited by state news agency IRNA yesterday said the deposits were found in "southern coastal areas" and had trebled the amount outlined in previous estimates.
There was no independent confirmation but with few uranium mines of its own, Western experts had previously thought Iran may be close to exhausting its supply of raw uranium.
"We have discovered new sources of uranium in the country and we will put them to use in the near future," Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, head of the AEOI, was quoted as saying at Iran's annual nuclear industry conference.
The timing suggested Iran, by talking up its reserves and nuclear ambitions, may hope to strengthen its negotiating hand at talks in Kazakhstan on Tuesday with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
The West says the production demonstrates Tehran's intent to develop a nuclear weapons capability, an allegation the Islamic republic denies.
The enriched uranium required for use in nuclear reactors or weapons is produced in centrifuges that spin uranium hexafluoride gas. This is derived from yellow cake, a concentrate from uranium ore discovered in mines.
Iran's stock of reserves of raw uranium stood at around 4,400 tonnes taking into account discoveries over the past 18 months, IRNA quoted the report as saying.
The report also said 16 sites had been identified for nuclear power stations, including coastal areas of the Gulf, the Sea of Oman, the Caspian Sea and Khuzestan province.
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