Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Within the framework of the international forum Atomexpo-2022, TVEL and the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan (INF) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of decommissioning of nuclear facilities and waste management. The document was signed by Natalya Nikipelova, President of TVEL JSC, and Ilham Sadikov, Director of INP.

The key priority area of cooperation is the implementation of a project to decommission one of the buildings, as well as a low-level waste storage facility located on the territory of the Institute, with the preliminary organization of radioactive waste extraction.

In addition, the parties intend to jointly participate in the implementation of projects to eliminate nuclear legacy in the CIS. TVEL is the base organization of the Commonwealth countries for decommissioning, management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In turn, INP also has a number of competencies in the field of nuclear backend, which can be in demand when implementing projects not only in Uzbekistan, but also in other countries of the region and the CIS.

“The Tashkent Institute of Nuclear Physics has high-level competencies in the field of complex engineering and radiation surveys, analysis, assessment and justification of the safety of decommissioning and radioactive waste management. An agreement was reached that the applied tasks and existing capabilities of the Institute in the field of nuclear backend will be taken into account when developing the work plans of the CIS Base Organization,” said Natalia Nikipelova, President of TVEL JSC.

INP has a powerful scientific and technical infrastructure, including the WWR-SM research reactor, a cyclotron, a linear accelerator, a gamma-ray facility and a neutron generator, with the use of which fundamental and applied scientific research is carried out. Earlier in 2022, during substantive expert discussions at the Institute’s site, Rosatom specialists and colleagues from Uzbekistan considered and identified opportunities for optimizing approaches to waste management at the INP, as well as promising projects in which support from the CIS Base Organization and Rosatom State Corporation » is most in demand.