A group of reporters from Iran, U.S., the Netherlands and Germany inspected Iran`s Qatran nuclear site of Qatran or Arak Heavy Water. Head of the Research and Development (R&D) Department at Arak Qatran Complex Manouchehr Madadi said the complex is Iran`s first heavy water plant, meeting 99.8 percent of domestic requirements, including in the field of research.

Madadi said heavy water has wide applications in Iran including in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and biological fields as well as in cancer diagnosis and control. He said production of heavy water at the Complex relieves domestic
need for the imports.

The official said Arak Heavy Water Complex has 12 different units, including three main and nine-side units, aiming to meet domestic shortage. The units two, three, and four are the main units of the Complex, said the official, adding that unit two, where H2S gases are stored in liquid form, had been operational long ago, addressing domestic needs, while unit three, the GS unit, came on stream last month. He said the GS unit has provided heavy water with 15 percent purity but the country yet needs operation of a unit to turn the 15 percent heavy water into the 99/8 percent is expected to be
operational next month.

The official said once unit four of the heavy water is operational, 99.8 percent of domestic needs would be met. He put nominal production capacity of Arak Qatran Heavy Water Complex at 16 tons a year, saying that the Complex`s capacity will rise to 16 tons from eight tons a day once unit four, the GS unit, goes into operation.

Madadi said no foreign expert had been involved in the designing and construction process of the Complex and whole the project have been implemented solely by Iranian technicians and experts.