Iran has earmarked potential sites for new nuclear enrichment facilities and construction of two of them could start this year, a nuclear energy official said on Monday. "We have earmarked close to 20 sites and have passed the report on those to the president, however, these sites are only potential," Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation, was quoted as saying on news agency ISNA.
"We should begin the construction of two enrichment sites next year ... In the two new sites, we plan to use new centrifuges."The next Iranian year begins on March 21.
Iran announced plans in November to build 10 new enrichment plants to match its existing Natanz complex. According to Salehi, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would declare on April 9 what kind of centrifuges are to be used at the new sites.
