Kuwait looks to Russia for nuclear cooperation
22 September 2010
Having recently signed a memorandum of cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy with Japan, Kuwait has now signed a similar agreement with Russia.
The memorandum was signed by Ahmad Bishara, the secretary general of the Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee (KNNEC), and Sergey Kiriyenko, director general of Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom. It was signed in Vienna on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) annual general conference.
The bilateral agreement is aimed at boosting cooperation between Kuwait and Russia in the nuclear sector, stipulating training cadres, exploration of metals, establishing a network of nuclear reactors in Kuwait and building the relevant infrastructure, Bishara told Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA. The agreement is valid for five years, but can be extended.
Kuwaiti officials will hold a series of meetings with Russian officials over the coming months to try to draw up a cooperation accord, Bishara said.
The signing of the memorandum on nuclear cooperation with Russia closely follows the signing of a similar memorandum with Japan earlier this month. Kuwait already has cooperation agreements in place with the USA and France. A similar agreement with South Korea could reportedly be signed within the next few months.
Kuwait currently generates most of its energy from oil, but is considering its own nuclear program for power and water. Bishara recently told Bloomberg that the country will publish a roadmap for developing nuclear power as early as January 2011. The roadmap will include a timetable for bidding for contracts and potential locations of nuclear power plants. He noted that Kuwait is considering building up to four 1000 MWe reactors.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News