IAEA backs construction of Azeri nuclear reactor

Construction of a nuclear reactor in Azerbaijan has been verbally agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the National Academy of Sciences president Mahmud Karimov told the press Wednesday.

The unique facility is to be built in 2009-2011 with the agency’s financial assistance. The location of the research reactor has been determined. It will be based between Baku and the town of Sumgayit, 30 km north of the capital. The facility’s capacity will be below 1 MWt.

Karimov said the reactor should be considered as a nuclear power plant, as it will be used strictly for scientific research work.

“The use of nuclear energy is of special importance for Azerbaijan. At some point, the country’s oil and gas resources will be depleted, and then there will be no alternative to such power plants. Therefore, construction of nuclear power plants is currently expanding the world over,” the academy president said.

He added, however, that no discussions were under way at this point on building such power stations in the country.*