Iran’s heavy water replaced Canada’s in American market

Behrouz Kamalvandi, Spokesperson of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), added beside the 130 tons of heavy water the country can keep for itself under the nuclear deal, there remains a surplus of about 70 tons which must be sold to international markets.

Of the 130 tons, about 65 tons will be needed for the redesigned Arak reactor for a period of five years, while some 65 tons will be stored away.

Kamalvandi maintained that the global market for heavy water consists of one section for pharmaceutical research and one section allocated to heavy water power reactors which differs from research use in heavy water reactors.

“The heavy water used for reactors is normally stored years in advance and all countries do this. Whatever remains will be considered for non-nuclear and pharmaceutical uses,” he said.

According to the AEOI deputy head, the annual consumption of heavy water in the global market is 95 tons, 75 per cent of which belongs to the American market, thus, a major part of whatever amount of heavy water is sold, goes to the United States.

“That we are selling our heavy water to the US is a wise decision,” he said. “The Americans sought to shut down Iran’s reactors but are now purchasing heavy water form us and admit to its good quality.”

“We are aiming to become the biggest heavy water producer in the world and we are not very far from achieving this aim,” he said.