Russia and Morocco should start working together to develop the peaceful nuclear industry for electricity generation in the kingdom. Morocco is already a key player in the use of peaceful nuclear power, particularly in surveillance, research and medicine.
The Russian news agency Tass announced on Wednesday that Russia has approved a draft agreement to assist Morocco in the construction of nuclear infrastructure.
The draft agreement between the two countries, which has just been validated by Moscow, was presented by the Russian state company Rosatom. It was signed in 2017 during the visit to Morocco by former Russian Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev.
During his visit, Russia and Morocco signed 11 bilateral cooperation agreements including that between Rosatom and the National Center for Energy, Science and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN).
According to the agency, Russia has approved via an order signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mihustin, the cooperation agreement with Morocco which aims to use peaceful nuclear energy and provides for cooperation in 14 areas.
Thus, Russia should assist Morocco in the design, construction of nuclear reactors, water desalination plants and the improvement of already existing infrastructures, but should also provide training for personnel.
Morocco is already cited as a model for monitoring nuclear research reactors in Africa by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The IAEA, Morocco’s partner, estimated in 2020 that the “TRIGA Mark II” research reactor constitutes a training center in the monitoring of nuclear reactors in Africa and is an example to follow in terms of inspection, independence and reliability.
This reactor, which comes under CNESTEN, contributes to various activities related to research and training in nuclear medicine, industrial applications and the management of radioactive waste.
The use of nuclear research in the context of medicine in Morocco has made it possible, for example, to lower the price of iodine, used in the treatment of cancer of the thyroid gland, from 13,000 to 3,000 dirhams.
In addition to these activities, Morocco aims to use atomic energy to produce electricity and diversify its energy sources. For the moment, Rabat has not identified any specific partner and could do so with Russia as well as with Israel or even France.
Recently, before the House of Councillors, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali affirmed that Morocco has accumulated an important base of knowledge and experience in the preparations necessary to take an informed national decision concerning the production electricity from nuclear energy.
She explained that her ministry had been working since 2015 to carry out an assessment of the use of nuclear energy in electricity generation and that a report had been drawn up for the implementation of the recommendations of the assessment.
