Russia’s state-run nuclear agency, Rosatom and the Zambian government on Thursday signed an intergovernmental agreement on construction of a Nuclear Science and Technologies Center.
The document was signed by Likhachev and Ministry of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary Simon Miti.
This follows Zambia’s signing of four memoranda of understanding with Rosatom in December last year with a view to signing a nuclear deal worth $10-billion.
Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Alexey Likhachev told Journalists that the agreement provides for building a center in Zambia on a basis of a multi-purpose research water-moderated reactor with a capacity of up to 10 MW.
The facility is intended to house laboratories and functional complexes to perform tasks for the benefit of the country’s medicine and agriculture.
The Head of Rosatom indicated that the center’s construction would kick off the establishment of nuclear industry in Zambia.
He said Russia is ready to continue active cooperation and to share its work experience in the field of the use of peaceful nuclear energy’s technologies in order to prepare highly qualified staff there.
Mr Likhachev said in future, there will be one more project involving the construction of a research reactor.
“We achieved signing of the intergovernmental agreement in short terms – this is just a start of our big job related to creation of an actually new industry in Russia. Many plans and joint projects are onward. The research reactor will be in the core of these project and I highly hope it will give an impetus to a new technology level in the country,” Mr Likhachev said after document signing.
“The Center will make possible to do research in radiobiology sphere and establish production of radioisotopes in Zambia for wide application in cancer diagnostics and treatment. It will also service for staff training for the local nuclear industry.
“This is the start of a new task to create a nuclear industry in Zambia. Many plans lie ahead, including joint projects that will focus around a research reactor…. Russia is ready to share the best expertise at each stage,” Mr. Likhachev said.
He added that Russia will also help Zambia train qualified personnel to work in the center, expressing hope for the new project to bring economic benefits to the country.
The center will be built around a 10-megawatt experimental water cooled reactor and will have a range of laboratories and facilities for producing radioisotopes used to diagnose and treat cancer, and sterilizing food and agricultural products to extend their shelf life and protect them from insects, thus allowing Zambia to increase exports.
The center will also prepare qualified personnel that will service Zambia’s future nuclear industry.
The deal was inked after the two nations agreed last May to cooperate in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, at the Atomexpo 2016 forum in Moscow.
Russia has been cooperating with non-nuclear countries, including Nigeria, Bolivia and Vietnam, to help them harness nuclear energy to treat diseases and sterilize food.
Research centers usually allow to take further steps in developing an indigenous nuclear industry.
This is good and bad at the same time. I thought the initial emphasis was on building nuclear electricity? Now they’re talking about sterilizing food.
Holly shhiiiit, thats dangerious. Why fonicate with these kind of countries? But Lungu katwishi…. pourous at State House.
A dangerous idea to the unreasoned PF bandits at the helm of illegal power.
Bringing nuclear materials to PF bandits is kiss kiss goodbye to all the opposition political parties in the country. Such matters much be dealt with a competent authority & not PF banditry.
This would promote anarchy & encouragement to PF bandits of visionless Lungu to update from axes & pangas to nuclear weapons to be unleashed on innocent people.
Not with violent PF~very catastrophic to allow PF buffoonery to play with such delicate materials.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Do people that have eaten radioactive food glow in the dark?
This might be a good way of preventing drunk pedestrians from being hit by cars!
Skeleton dyu know what you’re talking about? . Nuclear power can’t be used on an internal foe. That would be suicide
@ Chilliboy, just go and ask Putin in Russia how many of his political opponents he has poisoned with nuclear stuff! Or just look on the internet! Alexander Litvinenko was one that was solved.
Putin likes it because it kills by radiation, and nobody normally checks for that when they have an unexplained death, they only look for chemicals.
What is the point when under pf they are failing to simply provide simple free primary education of acceptable standard. If you cannot educate your people in simple science how can you have workforce then to manage something as dangerous as nuclear power. This will end up in hands of cadres of pf who will cost us lives
Why are we turning to non-democratic countries for major investment.. where will the used nuclear material be “dumped” will we take russia used nuclear material… what do the MOA’s really say
Fellas…Irradiation does not make foods radioactive, compromise nutritional quality, or noticeably change the taste, texture, or appearance of food. In fact, any changes made by irradiation are so minimal that it is not easy to tell if a food has been irradiated. Food irradiation (the application of ionizing radiation to food) is a technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects. Like pasteurizing milk and canning fruits and vegetables, irradiation can make food safer for the consumer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating the sources of radiation that are used to irradiate food. The FDA approves a source of radiation for use on foods only after it has determined that irradiating…
The FDA approves a source of radiation for use on foods only after it has determined that irradiating the food is safe.
Just like the FDA has approved the GMOs americans (and us) have been eating for years?
I like what am seeing here. It has always been my desire to work with complicated stuff, it sets man apart from boys. That is why these developed countries are policing all of us, they have taken tremendous steps in nuclear and space investments.