Iran mulling European demand for heavy water: official

February 18, 2017 - 18:45

TEHRAN – Iran is looking into requests put in by European customers for its heavy water, a senior official with Iran’s nuclear organization said on Saturday.

“We are reviewing requests from some European countries for our heavy water,” Ali Zarean, special aide to the country’s nuclear chief, was quoted as saying.

Back in March 2016, Iran exported 32 tons of heavy water to the United States as part of a landmark nuclear agreement in 2105 for a price of $8.6 million.

Under the nuclear accord, economic sanctions against Tehran were lifted in exchange for it rolling back its nuclear program.

The shipment was the first technological material exported from Iran to the U.S., considered by the Middle Eastern nation to be an accomplishment.

Also, it sold Russia 38 tons of the nuclear substance last year.

The nuclear deal stipulates that Iran has to make available all its excess heavy water for export to international markets with “no additional heavy water reactors or accumulation of heavy water in Iran for 15 years.”

Iran's annual needs are estimated to be 130 metric tons of nuclear grade heavy water or its equivalent in different enrichments prior to commissioning of the modernized Arak research reactor.

AK/PA

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