Iran begins building new research reactor

Iran began building a 10 MW research reactor at a nuclear facility in Isfahan province in central Iran on February 5, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Attending the groundbreaking ceremony, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami announced the official start of construction of the fourth reactor at the facility. He said the project has undergone a feasibility study and is in its initial planning stage.

The AEOI President added that transforming part of the Isfahan facility into an international education and research center is another project at the nuclear facility. He stressed that the Isfahan facility, which has three reactors, is one of the world's atomic centers and a successful center. That is why the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved the site as a center for promoting education.

The new 10 MW reactor in Isfahan is a multipurpose open-tank reactor that uses light water for cooling and moderation. The reactor, which uses 20 percent uranium-aluminum oxide as fuel, will be used for research purposes, the official IRNA news agency reported on the same day.

Currently, in Iran, the Isfahan Nuclear Research and Technology Center is the country's largest atomic science center. The center has been in operation since 1984.