Location: Khondab, near Arak
Subordinate to: AEOI
Size: large—exceeding usual civilian heavy applications
Primary Function: Heavy water production

Description:

The heavy water production plant is under construction in Khondab, near Arak. According to the May 2003 NSG Plenary notes, the production capacity for this plant is approximately 100 tons per year. On 14 August 2002, members of an Iranian resistance group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, alleged that the Iranian government was involved in the construction of "at least two secret sites that support its nuclear weapons program." One of these was a heavy water production plant in Arak, a city 150 miles south of Tehran. These allegations prompted the IAEA to question the Iranian authorities about the existence of a heavy water program. During the Director General's visit in February 2003, Iran confirmed that a heavy water production plant was under construction in Arak.

Key Sources:
[1] "Latest Developments in the Nuclear Program of Iran, in Particular on the Plutonium Way: Presentation by France," NSG Plenary Meeting, May 2003.
[2] "Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 6 June 2003, p. 2.

	Updated January 2006