Iran has started constructing a mining complex in the northwestern region of the country, which the Iranian nuclear chief has touted as a �hub� for producing raw materials needed for nuclear power production.

The project was launched in the Jang-e Sar region in Khoy�in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan on Thursday, following the discovery of radioactive materials and rare-earth elements there.

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told the launch ceremony that the complex can play a "significant role" in accelerating the country's plan for nuclear electricity generation.

�The capacity of this mining complex is so [great] that undoubtedly it will be a hub for supplying the raw material for nuclear fuel production, and it will play a significant role in supporting the plan to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity,� he said.

According to reports, uranium, molybdenum, and a number of other rare-earth elements have been discovered in the area.

Eslami said the region can also be a huge source of rare-earth elements, which have various industrial applications.

Pointing to the use of airborne geophysical surveys in discovering the potential mines, the official said the discovery operations in the region began last year.

The official said the project would be completed within two and a half years, and that the first phase of the project needs around 10 trillion rials (roughly $20 million) to be completed

By Press TV