For radiation processing of agricultural products and research work, Bangladesh is working with Russia on the modernization of the RPP-350 gamma radiation facility in the country. A Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) delegation led by Ruhul Amin Khan, Project Director of the Institute of Radiation and Polymer Technologies, visited an isotope production facility at Leningrad NPP in Russia. Members of the delegation were introduced to the isotope production technology, cobalt-60 in particular.
After visiting the plant Ruhul Amin said, “Presently, Bangladesh and Russia are cooperating in the field of peaceful nuclear energy including the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, and supply of Russian isotope products for multifunctional processing centers and nuclear medicine in Bangladesh. We also plan to develop cooperation with Rosatom in the construction of a research reactor. This kind of reactor will allow our students to gain practical knowledge and use it in future projects.”
“At the moment Rosenergoatom (Electrical Division of Rosatom) is one of the key producers of radioisotopes in the Russian Federation. The share of sterilization cobalt produced at channel reactors of Russian nuclear power plants is expected to amount to about 30% of the global market this year,” informed Nikita Konstantinov, Deputy Director General and Director of Business Development, Rosenergoatom.
Alexey Kondratyev, Head of Radiation Technologies of the Leningrad NPP said, “Our NPP has been producing isotopes that are used all over the world for more than 20 years, and the unique design of RBMK-1000 channel reactors allows for continuous production and unloading of isotopes from the reactor “on the fly,” without stopping the power generation process,”
Rosenergoatom’s product range includes several isotopes widely used in industry, including food, as well as in medicine, solving a number of environmental problems and much more.
In the near future, production of the radioactive isotope samarium-153 will be launched at Leningrad NPP. Isotope production technology is also being tested at the Kursk and Smolensk nuclear power plants.
