Chinese government and the government of Tajikistan signs MoU to finance restoration of ARGUS-FTI nuclear research reactor

In February 2018, it was announced that China and Tajikistan had signed a memorandum of understanding for the financing of the restoration of Tajikistan’s nuclear research reactor, ARGUS-FTI. It was also announced that China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) would participate in the reactor's restoration.. The ARGUS-FTI research reactor was a 20 MW homogeneous molten salt reactor. It was built at the Umarov Physical and Technical Institute in Dushanbe, but never operated. It was expected in February 2018 that the reactor would be put into operation in 2020. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) was also participating in the work to restore ARGUS-FTI. The Tajik Academy of Sciences was also implementing the project, which began in 2016. The cost of the project was $35 million USD, $16.34 million USD for the first stage and $18.66 million USD for the second stage. The first stage of the program done by Rosatom in 2016 and 2017, included the training of staff, design and survey activities, and the production of the project documentation. The second stage, from 2018 to 2020, was to involve the refurbishment of the reactor and construction of facilities to produce radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. The reactor equipment had been mothballed, but two thirds of the equipment was useable. However, complete replacement of the reactor control system was still required.

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