Iran Initiates Construction of New Nuclear Reactor in Isfahan Amid Global Scrutiny
Watan-Iran announced today, Monday, that it has started building a new nuclear research reactor in Isfahan, just days after declaring plans to construct a complex for nuclear power plants in the south of the country.
Iranian media reported on Thursday that Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, stated that the country has begun constructing a complex of nuclear power plants in Sirik, on the Strait of Hormuz, consisting of four individual plants with a combined production capacity of 5000 megawatts.
According to the Iranian news agency “Mehr,” Eslami mentioned that the design and construction of the reactors require detailed studies, preparation, and equipment design, and plans for the new reactor in Isfahan started last year.
He stated that the second phase of the project began on Monday with the pouring of concrete for the reactor’s foundation.
Semi-Industrial Unit
The website of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization mentioned that Eslami also inaugurated a semi-industrial unit at the site for the production of tellurium hexafluoride.
He claimed that the unit, completed within a year, was part of the country’s radioactive pharmaceuticals production chain. He stated that the production of hexafluoride gas for any isotope was an essential part of the process.
According to the AEOI (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) president, the research reactor is being built to create a powerful neutron source with a high neutron flux for a variety of applications.
20,000 Megawatts
Eslami stated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considered the Isfahan nuclear research center as a facility dedicated to training purposes. He added that Iran uses the center to assist Iranian academic centers and train human resources.
He mentioned that Iran intends to achieve a production capacity of 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy by the year 2041.
Currently, only five countries – China, South Korea, Russia, the United States, and France – possess over 20,000 megawatts of combined nuclear power capacity.
Powerful Neutron Source
According to the SCMP website, the Isfahan Nuclear Research Center in central Iran already has three reactors. The agency stated that the new research reactor, with a capacity of 10 megawatts, is being built to create a powerful neutron source.
It was added that it will have a variety of applications, including fuel and nuclear material testing, production of industrial radioactive isotopes, and radioactive pharmaceuticals.
The Iranian news agency expects the Sirik plants to operate at full capacity by 2031. Currently, Iran has one operational nuclear power plant in Bushehr capable of producing 3000 megawatts.
International Criticism
Since 2018, Tehran has faced severe U.S. sanctions after former President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the historic nuclear agreement, which granted Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities aimed at preventing the development of nuclear weapons.
Iran’s nuclear program has long been the subject of international criticism, with widespread concern from experts outside the country that Iran’s civilian nuclear program is part of a secret effort to build nuclear weapons.
Denial and Pursuit Iran consistently denies any ambition to develop the capability to produce nuclear weapons and insists that its activities are entirely peaceful.
Currently, Iran has only one operational nuclear power plant in the coastal city of Bushehr, initially built in the 1970s with the assistance of German companies and later completed with Russian assistance.
In January, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, expressed regret that Iran was “restricting” its cooperation with the agency, describing the Iranian nuclear situation as “disappointing.”
