Baghdad: Russia has embarked on the world’s largest nuclear research initiative with significant Arab involvement, as confirmed by Rosatom. The project, centered around the MBIR multi-purpose research reactor, stands as the most powerful of its kind globally and is designed to utilize fast neutrons.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Arab Atomic Energy Agency has partnered with Russia on this groundbreaking endeavor. A strategic cooperation agreement has been established between the Arab Agency, the International Center for Research on Nuclear Energy (ICREEN), and their Russian counterparts, focusing on the peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

A statement from Rosatom highlighted that the agreement sets the stage for enhancing critical research capabilities while strengthening the organizational and legal frameworks. This collaboration aims to meet strategic objectives in energy, food security, and improving the quality of life for citizens in the member states of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency.

The MBIR research reactor, touted as the world’s most powerful, is under construction at a Rosatom facility within the Scientific Research Center located in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, in southwestern Russia. The project is pivotal for the long-term advancement of Russia’s experimental nuclear industry, ensuring the nation’s continued dominance in cutting-edge reactor technologies over the next five decades. The reactor boasts a thermal capacity of 150 MW and an electrical capacity of 55 MW.

An international research center associated with this reactor is currently in development, overseen by the International Center for Research Based on MBIR. Key consortium members include the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese company Shanghai Zidan International.

The Arab Atomic Energy Agency, functioning under the Arab League, is a specialized organization dedicated to nuclear science and its peaceful uses. Its membership includes 14 Arab states: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia.