[Associated Press, 10 April] Iran will open a new plant to process ore from its own uranium mines before the end of March 2009, according to Hossein Faghihian, deputy head in charge of nuclear fuel at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The plant, at Ardakan in central Iran – not far from Iran's uranium mining activities at Saghand – is to have a capacity of 70 tons per year, according to Faghihian. This is thought to be more than Iran's existing uranium processing plant which has been operating at Bandar Abbas in the south of the country since 2006. Faghihian was quoted on Iranian state television as saying that the opening of the new facility would enable the country's uranium needs to be met. Iran has its own uranium conversion plant and is developing a controversial uranium enrichment program, although its uranium reserves are widely believed to be insufficient for a nuclear power program. The country has, however, begun producing its own fuel for use in a 40 MW heavy water-moderated "research" reactor under construction at Arak, which does not require enriched uranium. Fuel loading, using Russian-supplied fuel, is due to begin this summer at Iran's first nuclear power reactor at Bushehr.
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