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Iran produces nuclear fuel pellets [for heavy water reactor]
The Press Association by way of Google ^ | 24NOV07 | The Press Association

Posted on 11/25/2007 6:32:03 PM PST by familyop

Iran has produced nuclear fuel pellets for its 40-megawatt heavy water nuclear reactor, Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh said.

This was a technological advancement in the cycle of nuclear fuel, according to the state news agency.

"Fuel pellets to be used in the 40-megawatt Arak research reactor have been produced," IRNA quoted Aghazadeh as saying.

Iran has gone a long way in building a 40-megawatt heavy water nuclear reactor in Arak, central Iran, which the US fears could be used to produce plutonium and build nuclear weapons.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: energy; iran; nuclear; proliferation; weapons

1 posted on 11/25/2007 6:32:05 PM PST by familyop
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To: familyop
If they ever place those pellets in that reactor and turn it on, there'll be hell to pay.

Count on a swift and SEVERE reaction by the US, possibly some of our allies too.

If we don't do it, Israel might nuke 'em.

2 posted on 11/25/2007 6:47:19 PM PST by Mariner
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To: familyop
Iran produces nuclear fuel pellets

Jimmah Carter's fierce bad rabbit. /obscure

3 posted on 11/25/2007 6:59:58 PM PST by NonValueAdded (Fred Dalton Thompson for President)
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To: Mariner

I guess the reactor would have to be finished.

And enough heavy water produced

and then the fuel installed.

THEN we can begin to worry.....


4 posted on 11/25/2007 7:54:53 PM PST by ASOC
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To: familyop

Iran has gone a long way in building a 40-megawatt heavy water nuclear reactor in Arak, central Iran, which the US fears could be used to produce plutonium and build nuclear weapons.

Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) in the Islamic Republic of Iran

EXCERPT: Although the Agency has no concrete information, other than that addressed through the work plan, about possible current undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, the Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran without full implementation of the Additional Protocol. This is especially important in the light of Iran’s undeclared activities for almost two decades and the need to restore confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. Therefore, the Director General again urges Iran to implement the Additional Protocol at the earliest possible date. The Director General also urges Iran to implement all the confidence building measures required by the Security Council, including the suspension of all enrichment related activities.

5 posted on 11/25/2007 8:04:28 PM PST by humint (...err the least and endure! VDH)
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To: familyop

Light water reactors are used for power generation; this is what Bubba/Jammah authorized/built for the KorComs back in the 90’s.

The KorComs immediately, surreptitiously, began converting it to a heavy water reactor with ChiComm guidance and help.

Heavy water reactors are used to produce nuclear weaponry.

Case closed.


6 posted on 11/25/2007 8:26:49 PM PST by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: familyop

Ahmadinejad, your “pellets” are no good.


7 posted on 11/25/2007 8:40:28 PM PST by 444Flyer ("Oly Oly Oxen Free!" Matt 3:1-3, Rev 22:17,John 3:1-36, Jude 9, Eph 6, Rev 12:11, Jer 29:13-14)
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To: familyop

A 40 MW reactor is too tiny for any real electricity production and the use of D2O as a moderator allows the fuel to have a lower enrichment than is needed for a H2O moderated reactor (and in some cases no enrichment is needed). I’d be curious about the design of the reactor. If it is set up for rapid defueling/refueling (perhaps even while online) then it would be an excellent plutonium production reactor. When you produce plutonium you build up the levels of plutonium in your fuel assemblies to an equilibrium so you need to cycle out your fuel assemblies often to maximize the amount of plutonium that you can produce for a given amount of fuel and time. The fact that Iran is using D2O moderated reactors is very troubling.


8 posted on 11/25/2007 9:44:15 PM PST by burzum (None shall see me, though my battlecry may give me away -Minsc)
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To: burzum
"If it is set up for rapid defueling/refueling (perhaps even while online) then it would be an excellent plutonium production reactor."

If that's the case, what's your guess as to the worst case scenario? That is, when might Iran have a weapon at the earliest, given that they have other components ready (machine tech., electrical tech. and the like)? There have been some exchanges of engineers between Iran and North Korea over the past few years for various tests.

S. Korea, U.S. verifying reports on test of new N.K. missile in Iran: source
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834307/posts
(up to 4,000 kilometer range—May 16th, 2007)

...and Iranian engineers said to have been present for North Korean missile launches.


9 posted on 11/25/2007 10:03:30 PM PST by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt.)--has-been)
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To: Rembrandt

“KorComs”

Owellian ‘Newspeak’!

Intentional or not?


10 posted on 11/26/2007 3:44:48 AM PST by Dave Elias
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To: Dave Elias

““KorComs”

Owellian ‘Newspeak’!

Intentional or not?”


Look to whatever source you want. I look to what I was taught in the ‘60’s in the Naval Security Group.

KorComs = Korean Communists = North Korea


11 posted on 11/26/2007 8:16:16 PM PST by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: Rembrandt

Chalk one for Eric Blair then!


12 posted on 11/27/2007 2:21:32 AM PST by Dave Elias
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