The first document was signed between AtomStroyExport and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Zambia. It is a contract for a preliminary engineering survey of the site designated for the nuclear science and technology center. According to the contract, AtomStroyExport will begin the site survey in the near future to acquire data necessary to design and construct the facility.
The second document is a contract for services to assess and develop national nuclear infrastructure in the Republic of Zambia. The contract was signed between Rusatom Service and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Zambia. This contract provides for assessing potential nuclear infrastructure components and drawing up a plan for their development in accordance with IAEA recommendations.
The third agreement was a project development agreement signed by Rusatom Overseas and the Ministry of Higher Education of the Republic of Zambia. Its purpose is to provide a basis for negotiations about the construction of a nuclear science and technology center in the Republic of Zambia. “Rosatom is ready to assist Zambia in developing nuclear science and technology in the country. The agreements signed today represent a very important step in implementation of the project. We expect a general construction contract for the nuclear center to be agreed upon and signed before the end of 2017,” said Evgeny Pakermanov, President of Rusatom Overseas.
Finally, Rusatom Overseas and the Zambian Ministry of Energy signed a project development agreement for a preliminary feasibility study of the nuclear plant construction in Zambia. According to the agreement, Rosatom engineers will assess feasibility of the nuclear plant construction project.
The Zambian nuclear center will feature laboratories, test rooms and production facilities. According to Rosatom, the center will enable research in radiobiology and fabrication of radioisotopes to be used in cancer diagnostics and treatment. Another application area for nuclear technology will be irradiation of foodstuffs and agricultural products to protect them against pests, extend shelf life and set the scene for an increase in Zambia’s agricultural exports and development of the country’s livestock breeding. The center will also contribute to training local talent to work in Zambia’s nuclear industry and deliver national research programs.
