A company under the management of Rosatom State Corporation [Russian nuclear energy state-owned company] and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia have signed a contract for the preparation of a feasibility study for the nuclear science and technology center (NSTC) in Ethiopia, Rosatom said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Rosatom will soon assess the country's non-energy sector and the economy's technology needs at the center's key facilities, as well as compile a list of potential users to further create a market for commercial products and services on the center basis, identify sites for the center, and conduct preliminary engineering studies, the statement added.
Ethiopia and Russia are developing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, with Rosatom assisting Ethiopia in developing nuclear energy and non-energy programs, according to Ethiopian Minister of Innovation and Technology Belete Molla.
"The signed contract and the appointment of Rosatom as the exclusive provider of feasibility study solutions for the NSTC in Ethiopia once again confirm the intention of our countries to strengthen long-term cooperation," Rosatom quoted the company's department head, Ilya Vergizaev, as saying.
Rosatom offers foreign customers an integrated package for NSTCs, including a research reactor, a laboratory complex, and, optionally, a multipurpose irradiation and nuclear medicine center. The package includes construction, training, fuel supply, maintenance, operational support, and management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, the company explained in the statement.