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Iran expands nuclear enrichment

DUBAI: Iran has begun expanding its capacity to enrich uranium through a planned installation of 6,000 new centrifuges.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during a visit to the Natanz nuclear facility on Tuesday, told Iranian state television that the installation of the centrifuges had already begun. Natanz — a city 100 km from Isfahan — already hosts 3,000 centrifuges.

Centrifuges are high speed spinning machines used to enrich uranium. Iran has so far enriched uranium to a low level, which can be used to generate electricity. It has denied any intention to produce highly enriched uranium, which can be used for manufacturing atomic weapons. According to the U.S. National Intelligence Estimates, Iran ceased work on atomic weapons in 2003.

“In addition to installation of 6,000 new centrifuges, there are also reports about other new achievements which would be announced tonight at a TV news programme,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Iran has so far used the less sophisticated P-1 centrifuges for enrichment. There are conflicting reports on whether the new cascades being installed will use the more advanced IR-2 machines.

Mr. Ahmadinejad was in Natanz to mark the third anniversary of the day when Iran successfully demonstrated its capability to enrich uranium on its own. Since then April 8 has been observed as the National day of Nuclear technology.

Analysts say it is commonly accepted that an enrichment programme crosses the experimental stage once 3,000 centrifuges are installed. By deciding to position 6,000 centrifuges, Iran has advanced further into industrial scale production. Its goal is to install 54,000 programmes.

Work at the Natanz facility is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which after rigorous inspections recently concluded that none of Iran’s past nuclear activities was linked to the development of atomic weapons. Iran has refused to comply with the demand of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany to halt uranium enrichment, saying that it has a right to peaceful uses of atomic energy under the provisions of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it has signed.

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