2024-08-21 00:08:29
The President of the Multinational State of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, and the First Deputy General Director of the Rosatom State Corporation, Director of the Department of Development and International Business Kirill Komarov participated in the first concrete pouring ceremony, starting the construction of the research reactor complex, a key component of the Center for Nuclear Research and Technology.
At the end of the solemn event, Kirill Komarov and Luis Arce visited the first and second stages of the center – preclinical cyclotron-radiopharmacology complex and multi-radiation center, which will be put into operation in the coming months.
The state atomic corporation “Rosatom” continued to implement the project despite the epidemic and all the restrictions related to it, thanks to which it was possible to maintain the pace of construction of the center.
The center is unique for the atomic sector. It is located 4,000 meters above sea level and is the highest nuclear facility in the world. Its construction will make a huge contribution to the development of science, medicine, agriculture and education in Bolivia, and will also create more than 500 highly qualified jobs for the residents of El Alto and La Paz.
Radiopharmacological drugs will be produced in the center, which will make it possible to carry out more than 5,000 measures of diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases annually.
In addition, the center will carry out radiation treatment of agricultural products, which will improve their quality, extend shelf life and significantly increase exports. At the same time, food processing does not affect their taste properties and is absolutely safe for the consumer, so it is widely used in many countries around the world.
In turn, the research reactor and laboratories will allow for advanced scientific research and training of personnel to work in the nuclear industry.
“Thanks to the center’s infrastructure, Bolivian and foreign scientists will be able to conduct unprecedented nuclear research at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. They will help Bolivia develop various sectors, such as mining and agriculture, as well as explore water resources,” emphasized the President of the Multinational State of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora.
“The construction of the nuclear research and technology center is one of the priority tasks for Rosatom. This is our first such serious project in Latin America and we are doing everything for its successful implementation. Despite all the difficulties, the Russian side fully fulfills its contractual obligations, and I am sure that we will maintain the momentum we have gathered in the coming years. At the same time, we are interested in developing relations with our Bolivian partners,” said Kirill Komarov, First Deputy General Director of Rosatom State Corporation, Director of the Department of Development and International Business.
“We have completed the main construction works in the facilities of the first stage and are preparing to hand over the pre-clinical cyclotron-radiopharmacology complex and the multifunctional radiation center to the client before the end of 2021. The deadline for handing over the rest of the center’s facilities, including the reactor complex, is 2024. I would like to give special thanks to our partners and contractors in Bolivia for their efficient work in the implementation of our overall project. Today, more than 500 Bolivian citizens are working at the construction site,” said Yevgeny Pakermanov, the project manager and president of Rusatom Overseas JSC.
Reference information.
The Center for Nuclear Research and Technology (CRC) in El Alto, Bolivia, is an innovative project that brings together leading nuclear technologies for the needs of health, agriculture and a number of other sectors. The construction project of the MHTC is implemented by the Atomic Energy Agency of Bolivia in cooperation with the Russian “GSPI” OJSC (included in the management circle of “Rusatom Overseas” OJSC). At the moment, the facilities of the 1st and 2nd stages are in the active stage of construction, works are being carried out to improve the territory of the ICTC.
Already this year, two main structures of the MHTC, which are of great importance for Bolivia’s healthcare sector, will be put into operation: a pre-clinical cyclotron-radiopharmacology complex and a multifunctional radiation center. The first complex is designed to produce a wide variety of isotopes that will be provided to medical clinics in Bolivia for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The second facility is also very important because it allows the processing of agricultural and food products to ensure their safety and extend their shelf life. Sterilization technology for various medical devices can also be applied here.