TEHRAN, YJC. Salehi says that Iran needs an annual amount of 30 tonnes of enriched uranium for its Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Making the remarks in a television talk show on Saturday
night, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said
the country is now enriching 2.5 tonnes of uranium every year, while the
minimum need is estimated to be 30 tonnes a year.
He, nonetheless, reiterated that the West does not agree
even on such a small amount of enrichment.
Salehi noted that a contract with Russia, which built the
Bushehr nuclear power plant, will expire after 8 years and Iran must be allowed
to fuel the plant by itself from that time on.
"8 years later, our enrichment capacity must have reached
190,000 SWUs, and that amount would supply the 30 tonnes of enriched uranium that
is needed for the Bushehr power plant,” the Iranian nuclear chief explained.
Back in July 2014, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei noted
that Iran’s uranium enrichment is a vital issue, adding that the country is in
need of an enrichment capacity of 190,000 SWUs.
He also warned that the West's goal in the negotiations on
uranium enrichment is to persuade the Islamic Republic of Iran to limit its
enrichment capacity to 10,000 SWUs.