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Overview

CZEC provides grant for Birine Nuclear Research Center Upgrade and Renovation Project

Commitment Year•2014Country of Activity•AlgeriaDirect Recipient Country of Incorporation•AlgeriaSector•EnergyFlow Type•Grant

Status

Project lifecycle

Completion

Pipeline: PledgePipeline: CommitmentImplementationCompletion

Timeline

Key dates

Commitment date
Dec 29, 2014
End (actual)
Mar 7, 2019

Geospatial footprint

Map overview

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The purpose of this project is to renovate and upgrade the Birine Nuclear Research Center in Perrin, Algeria. More detailed locational information can be found at https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/244664883.

Stakeholders

Organizations involved in projects and activities supported by financial and in-kind transfers from Chinese government and state-owned entities

Funding agencies

State-owned companies

  • China Zhongyuan International Engineering Co., Ltd.

Receiving agencies

Government Agencies

  • Birine Nuclear Research Center

Implementing agencies

State-owned companies

  • China Zhongyuan International Engineering Co., Ltd.

Loan description

CZEC provides grant for Birine Nuclear Research Center Upgrade and Renovation Project

Narrative

Full Description

Project narrative

In the 1980s, the Chinese Government discreetly provided an aid package for the construction of the 15 MWt reactor at the Birine Nuclear Research Center. The project was completed by China Zhongyuan Engineering Corp (CZEC), the overseas nuclear project platform of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), two months ahead of schedule (in 1992). By 2014, some of the systems, components, equipment and other associated facilities at the Birine Nuclear Research Center were aging due to many years of operation. The nuclear reactor also needed to be upgraded. On December 29, 2014, CZEC, and Algeria's Billin Nuclear Research Center signed a contract for the Birine Nuclear Research Center Upgrade and Renovation Project. The Es-Salam research reactor at the Birine Nuclear Research Center achieved stable operations on February 20, 2019. The project as a whole was completed on March 7, 2019. The project was officially accepted by the Algerian authorities in July 2021.

Staff comments

1. This project is also known as the El Salam Nuclear Research Center Upgrade and Renovation Project. The Chinese project title is 阿尔及利亚比林和平堆升级改造项目. 2. This project is characterized by the State Council as a 'South-South Cooperation' project. Other official sources refer to it as a China-aided project. As such, AidData has coded the project as grant-funded for the time being. However, this issue warrants further investigation. 3. CNNC and the Algerian Atomic Energy Agency signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement on nuclear energy on April 29, 2015.