Iran Celebrates Start of Industrial Enrichment Phase – Nuclear Chief Aqazadeh

Text of report by Iranian TV news channel on 9 April

Iranian news channel TV, IRINN, broadcast a ceremony to mark the start of industrial scale enrichment of uranium in Iran at 1232 gmt on 9 April. Dutring the live broadcast, on the occasion of national nuclear technology day, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency Gholamreza Aqazadeh, enumerating Iran’s achievements said: “And, ultimately, the production of uranium with an enrichment level of 3.5 to 5 per cent for nuclear power stations in the big Natanz facilities, which is considered to be one of the important and sensitive phases of the technology of nuclear fuel production in today’s world. Today, by entering the phase of the mass production of centrifuges and the start of the industrial phase of enrichment, another step has been taken towards the development of Islamic Iran and the coming to fruition of the country’s several-years-long efforts and hopes.”

Here is the full text of the speech by Gholamreza Aqazadeh as broadcast on IRINN:

On industrial enrichment

In the name of God, greetings! Before any word I would like to welcome our dignified guests on my behalf and on behalf of all the servants of our dear country in Iran’s Atomic Organization. I would like to express my and my colleagues’ gratitude for your attendance in this ceremony to celebrate the National Day of Nuclear Technology.

Today, we have come together here, to celebrate – thanks to the unending grace of God – the entry of the uranium enrichment project into the industrial phase and to ask the Almighty to help us and to continue to make this land a beneficiary of His grace.

Objectives of Iran’s nuclear programme

At the start of my speech I need to present a comprehensive picture on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities which will undoubtedly remain in the history of the Iranian nation as a major research, scientific and industrial move.

I would like to elaborate on these achievements in detail.

The programmes and the objectives of this great move was initially drawn up with the extensive efforts and collaboration of researchers, university elites and the scientists of Iran’s Atomic [Energy] Organization and then confirmed by the relative authorities.

After that, with the help of God, the move towards achieving the following objectives started:

– Achieving the superior and the fateful technology of the nuclear fuel cycle.

– Substituting oil and gas with an alternative energy resource through nuclear plants.

– Scientific and industrial progress in various nuclear fields.

– Relying on distinguished domestic experts and training a new generation of nuclear scientists and managers inside the country.

– Localizing nuclear technology by constructing nuclear reactors.

– Implementing complex nuclear projects with minimum expenses.

These significant objectives needed a novel structure and a different approach in all aspects. It required highly educated individuals who strongly believed in the materialization of this technology and people who could, in all modesty, dedicate their life to this major achievement.

On nuclear achievements

This was under conditions where no expert, foreign company or research centre, despite their legal commitments, was supporting our country’s nuclear scientists. It is worth mentioning that when the programme for Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities was drawn up various scientific, legal, political and international aspects were taken into account and it was not very surprising to see that implementing such a comprehensive programme which was based on legal and international rules would motivate sensitivities and miserly of a minority of countries which do not wish to see this great and proud nation flourish.

Despite these challenges and all the hurdles and problems the Islamic Republic of Iran was determined to start its comprehensive peaceful nuclear activities with the determination of its dignified youth. It gave priority to producing nuclear fuel cycle as an advanced science in the nuclear technology.

In order to achieve this goal the following steps were taken:

– Discovering and extracting the country’s uranium resources and identifying new uranium-rich areas.

– Producing yellow cake as the main substance for the production of nuclear fuel by building mining facilities in Ardakan area of Yazd and Bandar Abbas [port].

– Producing UF6, as the main material for the enrichment of uranium, by constructing, utilizing and operating the major UCF project of Esfahan. Today I am proud to announce to the dear Iranian nation that our noble youth have been able to produce 270 tonnes of UF6 within the past year. This important substance not very long ago was far from dreams of our nuclear researchers.

Industrial production of centrifuge

[Listing Iran's achievements] And, ultimately, the production of uranium with an enrichment level of 3.5 to 5 per cent for nuclear power stations in the big Natanz facilities, which is considered to be one of the important and sensitive phases of the technology of nuclear fuel production in today’s world. Today, by entering [the phase of] the mass production of centrifuges and the start of the industrial phase of enrichment, another step has been taken towards the development of Islamic Iran and the coming to fruition of the country’s several-years-long efforts and hopes.

The executive phases of this sensitive project began in [13]81 [year beginning in March 2002] with the aim of producing part of the nuclear fuel for the long-term programme for the country’s nuclear power plants. The special features of this project can be enumerated as follows:

1. The phases of design, construction, manufacturing of the pieces, assembly, installation and commissioning have been carried out by the young scientists of the organization [Iran's Atomic Energy Organization] and the graduates of our country’s universities.

2. The latest methods and the most advanced scientific achievements and industries of our country have been used.

3. The speed of the work in terms of the installation of equipment and commissioning them was such that, in some months, it was accompanied by a growth of more than 13 per cent which can be seen as a new record in carrying out sensitive projects of this kind.

4. All the phases of design, construction, commissioning and exploitation have become indigenous [Persian: bumi shodeh], and, just as all the countries that possess this technology have their own special features, some of the phases of the know-how relating to the commissioning of this project have special features unique to our country’s young scientists and researchers.

Today, with God’s grace, with the commissioning of another segment of these important and strategic installations, the country and the great Iranian nation has entered a new phase of the production of nuclear fuel.

It has to be mentioned here that the Atomic Energy Organization’s aggregate of projects has traversed the phases of its completion with a balanced rhythm and an acceptable speed.

Plans to build more nuclear plants

The important heavy water facility in Arak is another one of the worthy creation of our nation’s researcher and scientific minds. It is beyond belief that it came online in the first half of the year 1385 [Iranian year began March 20 2006] and in this way another summit among the peaks of nuclear knowledge was ascended by Iranian scientists. The experimental 40 megawatt reactor in Arak is another one of the complex projects in our nation’s comprehensive nuclear programme. The practical phase of this project began in Mehr 1383 [September-October 2004] and is another aspect of our scientific prowess. The development of the country’s nuclear power plants, in line with a bill passed by the honourable Islamic assembly [Majlis], tasks the atomic energy organization to produce 20,000 megawatt of nuclear energy over the next twenty years. In conjunction with the 1,000 megawatt Bushehr power plant project, the design and construction of a light water 360 mega watt power plant is proceeding with ever increasing speed. Over the next few months, in addition to the international tender that will be floated for two 1000 mega watt units, we will start identifying sites for the other 20,000 mega watts of power plants and their construction will be put to tender. The ZDP project, or the production of the metal zirconium for use in fuel rod in nuclear reactors, began in the second half of the year 1384 [Iranian year began 20 March 2005] and the four outputs of this facility have reached the usage stage.

It was necessary for us to institutionalize the transfer of local nuclear knowledge and its future extension. It was important to establish a comprehensive academic and research programme to include the following areas: nuclear fusion, laser and optics, reactors and accelerators, nuclear agriculture, nuclear medicine, the application of rays, the nuclear fuel-cycle. It is a great pleasure for me to announce here today that this research centre has been established and it will make a worthy contribution to our nation’s nuclear science knowledge. The participation of universities in these projects is another one of the project of Iran’s atomic energy organization. The practical outcomes of such cooperation will be the growth of academic excellent at universities and the development of this knowledge in the country.

At the end, one should note that the materialization and flourishing of nuclear technology in our beloved country, Iran, have taken place, thanks, first and foremost, to God’s blessing, the nation’s awareness, the intelligent and wise leadership of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution.

Meanwhile, I would like to thank all the [previous] governments and particularly Mr Ahmadinezhad, the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran for their help in materializing these important objectives.

Undoubtedly, the unique political will and resistance of the president in the past 18 months have paved the way for the materializing of our country’s nuclear objectives. Meanwhile, the efforts by the elite, academics, media and the reporters have been also significant. This cannot be denied. Today, we have to congratulate all Iranians, particularly the intelligent young generation and all of the children of this country all over the world. They have turned a long-standing dream of the great and civilized Iranian nation into a reality.

I do look forward to the great Iranian nation’s further victories in various areas. God bless all of you.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.