IAEA assessed the safety of a 65-year-old research reactor in Uzbekistan.

The VVER-SM research reactor, located in the village of Ulugbek near Tashkent, is managed by the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan. Commissioned in 1959 with a capacity of 2 megawatts (increased to 10 megawatts in 1980), it is primarily used for the production of medical radioisotopes. Since 2017, the facility has undergone a series of modernization projects supported by the IAEA to enhance safety levels.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who visited the Nuclear Physics Institute, emphasized the significant role of the VVER-SM reactor in isotope production and its contribution to international scientific collaboration.

Meanwhile, the SALTO-RR mission, which included experts from Canada, Pakistan, and South Africa, inspected the reactor and associated facilities, evaluating the aging management programs and long-term operation of the reactor. The specialists also reviewed documentation and engaged in technical discussions with the reactor's management and operational staff.

The experts praised the high quality of the discussions and noted the professionalism of the reactor's management and personnel. Additionally, the study identified areas for improving the facility's operation, including the need to develop formal procedures for periodic safety inspections, modification management, and updating the aging management program in accordance with international standards.

"We urge the facility to implement the mission’s recommendations and prioritize actions for further safe operation," said Kaichao San, the mission group leader and IAEA nuclear safety officer.

The next SALTO-RR mission in Uzbekistan is scheduled for 2027, which will allow for an assessment of the implementation of the recommendations and the further development of the reactor's safety program.