The official, who requested anonymity, told the ISNA news agency, “The second Iranian cascade was installed two weeks ago and gas was injected into it this week.”
UF6 gas is injected into cylindrical centrifuges which spin at supersonic speeds to produce enriched material.
The second cascade is currently producing enriched uranium, the official noted.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, had been informed of the activity beforehand and IAEA inspectors are currently in Iran, he added.
Iran had previously enriched uranium to 4.5 percent through a cascade of 164 centrifuges.
Now Iran has two cascades of 164 centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) officials have announced that they plan to bring 3000 centrifuges on stream during the current Iranian calendar year, which ends on March 20, 2007.
RMN/HG
END
MNA
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