4 days ago
Iraq, China to partner on subcritical nuclear reactor for research and training
Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced plans to sign a strategic agreement with China's Atomic Energy Authority for the construction of the country's first subcritical nuclear reactor, local news website 964 media reported on Sunday.
The project will focus on training and skill development in nuclear physics and peaceful radiation technologies, the report said quoting Minister Naeem Al-Aboudi, who also heads the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission.
Al-Aboudi said the foundation stone for the project is expected to be laid within a month.
"While discussions have taken place with several countries, the current direction strongly favors collaboration with China for this critical project, which we consider a strategic and successful step forward for Iraq," he said.
In a statement to 964, Al-Aboudi also confirmed the decontamination of three sites at the Al-Tuwaitha Nuclear Complex southeast of Baghdad. The comnplex was destroyed due to military actions between 1981 and 2003.
In March 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a press statement that its Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani and senior government leaders on the OPEC member's plans for a nuclear energy programme, including small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as the country's cancer care needs and decommissioning needs.
(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
