Iran installs 1,000 IR-2m centrifuges: nuclear chief

Tehran – Iran has installed 1,000 second generation (IR-2m) centrifuges in one of its nuclear enrichment sites, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) of Iran Ali-Akbar Salehi said Sunday.

However, in the light of its ongoing talks with six world powers on its nuclear issue, Iran has not injected UF6 gas into the centrifuges, Xinhua reported citing Salehi.

“We will not install any more second generation centrifuges since they need required space and infrastructure,” he said.

“The third and fourth generation centrifuges are going through tests,” he said, adding that “there is nothing impossible for Iran in producing these new generation centrifuges”.

On Friday, Salehi said Iran had 19,000 centrifuges and was developing a new generation of centrifuges which needed all kinds of tests before operation.

He said Iran was among the countries that were able to implement the full process of nuclear fuel production cycle.

In November, Iran and the six world powers signed an interim deal, under which Iran agreed not to operate its new centrifuges for six months. The deal, however, does not require the Islamic republic to stop developing new centrifuges.

In August, former AEOI chief Fereidoon Abbasi announced that Iran had about 18,000 centrifuges, 10,000 of which were operating.

Salehi, who is also Iran’s vice president, said Sunday that Tehran and Moscow were discussing the construction of four nuclear power plants in Iran, ISNA reported.