News
2/6/2019
Dr. Salehi's visit to Khondab Nuclear facility

-Simultaneous with the 40th anniversary ceremonies of the glorious Islamic Revolution, Dr. A.Salehi, President's deputy and AEOI head on Feb/4, on an extensive trip to the central province, inaugurated the newly constructed hospital of Mehr Khondab and closely visited the Khondab county heavy water complex and research reactor innovation processing.

-Dr. Salehi in a presentation announced the production of a vital strategic material called oxygen 18 (H2o18). He informed that the related research project began back in 2015 and after 4 years succeeded in achieving 97 percent purity and upon a simple electrolysis processing will be delivered to the hospitals for the FDG production, a medication used for PET devise imaging.

-He further added that, the price of this product is 30/000 dollars per kilogram and only five countries in the world produce it, Iran being the sixth. AEOI chief also explained that Iran presently can produce 60 kilos of oxygen 18 annually that can be elevated to 100 kilos in the future, and that there are 12 towers in the related site of which 8 are specifically for this product and 4 produce heavy water.

-Dr. Salehi praised the endeavors spent by the young scientists in the last 4 years in accessing this achievement.

-With respect to redesigning the Khondab research reactor he declared the following remarks.

-This facility was under construction and technically not completed. Upon JCPOA talks the western negotiators asked for the reduction of the reactor's plutonium output to one kilo, since previous design, if commissioned would yield supposedly 8 kilos.

-We agreed through mutual cooperation and redesign of the Khondab facility to achieve the one kilogram. Following this all new equipment were installed in the site. Today the conditions have differed from the past.

-Work is going well in the Khondab reactor and we hope to reach the testing phase on time. This phase will take between 1 to 2 years.

-With respect to the U.S exit from the redesigning workgroup, technical matters continue, yet considering the experiences we have had so far, we also consider parallel alternatives in order not to confront obstacles. It is hoped the committing parties stay with their obligations and project be facilitated.

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