Rwanda is set to establish the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST), stepping forward to harness nuclear science and technology for sustainable socio-economic development, a government official has said.
Fidele Ndahayo, chief executive officer of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB), spoke at a feasibility study validation meeting for the CNST on Wednesday in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.
During the meeting, he said the center “will not only contribute to the peaceful use of atomic energy in Rwanda but also drive advancements in healthcare, agriculture, and industrial materials.”
The CNST is a complex facility combining various elements to meet Rwanda’s justified needs for nuclear and radiation applications, he said. Facilities will include a multipurpose irradiation center, a nuclear medicine center and a training complex, among others.
Ndahayo said the construction of the center will be implemented in two phases and take more than seven years.
Phase one will prioritize constructing facilities of high social significance and commercial viability, such as the cyclotron radiopharmaceutical production unit, multipurpose irradiation center and training complex. Phase two will focus on establishing a nuclear research facility, a reactor complex, and an engineering and technical complex, along with a radioactive waste treatment complex.
Once completed, the CNST will serve as a regional hub for international cooperation and knowledge exchange in nuclear technology. It will attract skilled professionals, foster research, and support Rwanda’s goals for peaceful nuclear energy, ultimately enhancing healthcare, agriculture and environmental management, Ndahayo said.