IR-40

34.3734149.24078Koordinaten: 34 ° 22 ' 24 "N, 49 ° 14' 27" E

IR -40 is a research reactor under construction northwest of the Iranian city of Arak. It is a heavy-water reactor with a thermal power of 40 MW, which works with natural uranium. Iran has its own uranium deposits. As the main purpose of the plant the production of the IR-40 radionuclides for medical and industrial purposes is specified. These include isotopes cesium -137, cobalt -60, iodine -131, Iridium -192, Molybdenum-99 and Yttrium -90.

Originally the reactor in Isfahan to be built, but after the completion of the plans decided Iranian government to relocate the site after Arak. On 5 May 2003, the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) has been informed of the construction project. The news magazine Der Spiegel published in January 2007 a ​​satellite picture. On 25 July 2007 an inspection by the IAEA was announced. IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei criticized in September 2007, the uranium enrichment program and the continuation of the construction of IR - 40th

Technology and Operations

Reliable information about the construction does not exist, but for various become known details can be concluded that it is very likely to be a pressure tube reactor. These details are for example

  • Separate heavy water circuits for moderation and for cooling, as in the CANDU reactors,
  • The great similarity of the fuel element manufactured in Iran - of which there is a published image - with the fuel assembly of RBMK reactors.

A pressure tube reactor is well suited to continually gain weapons plutonium in addition to the actual reactor operation. Therefore, Israel sees through the plant at Arak threatened in connection with the entire Iranian nuclear program.

On the part of the government's development of nuclear weapons is disputed; the nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes.

In November 2013 it was agreed that in an agreement in Geneva:

  • No further work on heavy water reactor in Arak
  • Disclosure of all documents to Arak
  • No program for the reprocessing of fuel elements

On 8 December 2013, a report on a visit by UN experts has been published. On December 28, 2013 said Ali Akbar Salehider, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, the reactor at Arak was not suitable for the production of weapons-grade plutonium as the fuel would stay another year in the reactor. After more than three or four weeks, the plutonium can no longer be used for nuclear weapons. In addition, Iran has no system for the separation of plutonium.

Arak, Iran Technetium-99m-Generator
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