Rosatom will begin to supply equipment to Bangladesh

2022: Contract Conclusion Plan for Supply of Industrial Gamma-ray Plant and Ionizing Radiation Sources

According to the results of an open tender announced in March 2022, Rusatom Healthcare will conclude a contract for the supply of an industrial gamma-ray plant and sources of ionizing radiation for the treatment of agricultural and medical products in Bangladesh. This became known on May 23, 2022. The total contract amount is $3.9 million.

The contest was organized by the Institute of Radiation and Polymer Technology (IRPT) of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). In addition to NIITFA, which is part of the management circuit of the Rosatom Halskea division, companies from Russia, China and Germany also took part in the tender. According to the results of comparing technical and commercial proposals, the NIITFA proposal satisfied the customer's requirements the most, the report said.

Rusatom Healthcare Division implements projects to create multifunctional centers for processing products with ionizing radiation in Russia and abroad. The processing technologies available to Rosatom allow several times to increase the shelf life of products. Ionizing radiation breaks the chemical bonds of harmful microorganisms and leaves no residual traces. Such sterilization provides for the death of pathogenic forms of spores and non-pathogenic microorganisms within the material. Due to the penetrating ability of ionizing radiation, it is possible to process products while maintaining the integrity and tightness of the package. The advantage of this method is also the absence of a "degassing" process in the technology - this means that the products are ready for use immediately after processing. The safety of this method has been confirmed by FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). All this ensures an increase in demand worldwide for "cold" sterilization with ionizing radiation.

The implementation of the project in the People's Republic of Bangladesh will develop and strengthen competencies in the production of equipment used for gamma irradiation of products. We are sure that the effective work of the division will strengthen the international reputation of Rusatom Halskea as a reliable supplier of radiation technology solutions, "said Igor Obrubov, Director General of Rosatom Halskea.

In 2023, NIITFA will perform all works, including the design, production, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of equipment for the gamma plant. The supplied equipment includes a transport system, an automated process control system, an irradiator drive system, and actuators to ensure the irradiation process. In addition to NIITFA, other enterprises that are part of the Rusatom Healthcare division will work on the project. So, the supply of sources of ionizing radiation Co-60 (cobalt-60) will be carried out by "B/O Isotope." The result of the work will be a modernized gamma-ray plant with a nominal activity of 400 kkKi^[1].

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