Iran aims to commercialize heavy water, nuclear achievements
The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that some countries are looking to buy Iran’s heavy water, adding that the commercialization of Iran’s nuclear advancements is on the agenda.
Behrouz Kamalvandi pointed out in a radio interview on Monday that the country’s heavy water is priced at more than 1,000 dollars per liter, adding, “All is grist for the mill”.
Admitting that “all the ruckus is understandably about uranium enrichment now,” the official warned against overlooking other areas where the nuclear industry can leave a significant impact, including nuclear medicine, agriculture, and industry.
“The fact that Iran can produce 20 percent [purity] nuclear fuel, heavy water derivatives, and nuclear medicines, which are more useful for treating certain diseases, shows that Iran is ahead of many countries in the world in those regards, and has a relative advantage,” he stressed.
However, he noted, with its tight grip on the media and the public opinion of most of the world, the West has led everyone to believe that any country that strives for highly enriched uranium is secretly pursuing a nuclear bomb.
Even though the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei strictly prohibited the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction, and even though Iran has proudly passed the highest number of transparent inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with flying colors, Kamalvandi stated that the West continues to spread such lies to hamper Iran’s progress.
“The fact of the matter is that the industry can bring high added value for us. We are talking about billions of dollars that can be raised in areas such as nuclear medicine and heavy water.”
Announcing that steps have been taken with the help of the private sector to commercialize Iran’s nuclear achievements over the past year and a half, the spokesman said that the completion of the research phase, followed by investment from the private sector, is needed before the country can generate income from its achievements.
It’s the same process everywhere in the world, he maintained, adding that the private sector needs to see whether government research yields results before it makes a hefty investment in such advanced technology.
Referring to the Leader’s statements concerning small modular reactors (SMRs), Kamalvandi said Iran is following the recent global trend, where constructing several smaller nuclear power plants is prioritized over constructing one larger nuclear power plant to meet the power needs of a city.
“Constructing SMRs requires lower investment and yields a good return faster,” he said, citing the construction of the Darkhovin Nuclear Power Plant in Khuzestan Province as one such attempt.
The spokesman pointed out that Iran currently has a total installed nominal enrichment capacity of about 38,000 separative work units (SWU) per year, which can be upped to 40,000 SWUs.
“The Iranian Parliament’s Strategic Action Law unshackled the AEOI to increase its enrichment capacities while staying perfectly in touch with the IAEA in accordance with the decrees of the Leader,” he added.
“The West has been making excessive demands that go far beyond the IAEA safeguards. But if they are not going to honor their commitments, there is no reason for Iran to give in to such demands.”
Kamalvandi echoed the recent statements by Ayatollah Khamenei by saying that a deal with the West is acceptable only if Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remained intact, as they lay the groundwork for many good, peaceful uses for Iranians.