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Venezuela's Chavez aims to tap nuclear energy

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-16 16:11

If an agreement is reached for Russia to help Venezuela create a nuclear research center, Russian specialists would likely participate closely to ensure nuclear safety and security, he said.

A Venezuelan delegation visited Moscow last month, and discussed creating programs for training Venezuelan specialists in nuclear safety and in the use of reactors, the Russian nuclear agency said in a statement. It said they also discussed training Venezuelans on designing and building "a cyclotron or research reactor with the aim of producing radioisotopes for medical purposes."

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It wouldn't be the first time for Venezuela to build a nuclear reactor. A small, experimental reactor was completed in 1960 at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Studies near Caracas. In the past decade, it has been used as a sterilization plant that treats pharmaceuticals, surgical supplies and other products using cobalt-60 radiation.

"Its objective was lost due to technological obsolescence, but we're going to start, and we're working on that with Russia," Chavez said.

It remains unclear what sort of nuclear technology, if any, Venezuela could seek from Iran. Chavez as early as 2005 expressed interest in developing nuclear energy and mentioned Venezuela could discuss it with Iran.

He said while visiting Iran on Sept. 4 that "we're carrying out the visualization of the nuclear energy project, so that the Venezuelan people can also count on that marvelous resource for peaceful uses in the future."

He said Venezuela and Iran agreed to work together on geological studies in the Venezuelan Andes and the foothills in his home state of Barinas, because "we already have satellite information that indicates there are good mineral resources, different minerals that are very important for the country's development." He didn't elaborate, and didn't mention uranium.

It also remains unclear how much Chavez intends to spend on the nuclear project. His government has been coping with a sharp decline in revenue in the past year due to lower prices for Venezuelan oil, which funds nearly half the national budget.

Elsewhere in South America, Argentina already has two operating nuclear plants, as does Brazil.

Brazil is also planning to invest $3.7 billion to build a third nuclear plant after receiving environmental approval earlier this year.

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