Iran to upgrade Arak heavy water reactor by 2022
By Ali Mustafayev
Project on re-designing of Iran’s Arak heavy-water reactor will be completed by 2022.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told local media that the operations to re-design Arak heavy water reactor is proceeding in accordance with the schedule, adding that the project would finish before 2022.
He added that the re-designing of Arak reactor – which was renamed to Khandab heavy water reactor – had already entered the second phase, Press TV reported on August 25.
The heavy-water reactor in Arak is being redesigning in cooperation with China under the Joint Comprehensive Plan on Action (P5+1) signed in 2015. The reactor will be redesigned to disable its producing of weapon-grade plutonium.
Heavy-water is used in some types of nuclear reactors as a neutron inhibitor. The main future of heavy-water reactors is that they can be used to produce the weapon-grade plutonium with natural uranium.
The second plant would be made operational two years later than the first one, according to him. Kamalvandi emphasized that the project realization could generate a collective of 2,100 megawatts – 1,050 megawatts each – once fully operational.
Last September, the Islamic Republic announced about launch of 10-year project to construct a new nuclear power plant with Russia’s help.
Russia signed a deal with Iran in 2014 to build up to eight more reactors in the country. The Islamic Republic already runs one Russian-built nuclear reactor at Bushehr, which is the country’s first nuclear energy project.
Kamalvandi further added that the construction of nuclear power plants requires an investment of at least $5 billion. The figure, he said, is at least three times higher than that required for the construction of regular plants.
The official further said that Iran burns at least two million barrels of oil each year to produce enough electricity to answer its energy needs. This, he added, would cost at least $100 million if each barrel of oil is sold at $50.
Iran and six international mediators reached an agreement on the nuclear program of Tehran in mid-July 2015. The Islamic Republic of Iran has pledged to turn the Fordo plant into a technology center, and reorganize the Arak reactor in accordance with the project of an international consortium, the spent fuel from it will be exported outside the country. Tehran also promised not to enrich uranium above 3.67 percent and limit its volume to 300 kilograms for a period of 15 years.
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