Uzbekistan has officially joined the international consortium for the creation of a new generation multi-purpose research reactor-MBIR. The accession agreement was signed on July 16 in Moscow, as part of a scientific program aimed at developing advanced nuclear technologies and fundamental research.
The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan has become a full participant in a large-scale international project that is being implemented on the basis of the Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors in the city of Dimitrovgrad. The MBIR (Multi-Purpose Fast Research Reactor) will be the world's most powerful fast-neutron research reactor after its launch in 2028. Its design capacity is 150 megawatts, and liquid sodium is used as a heat carrier.
MBIR is intended as a platform for research in critical areas of modern science. Among the priorities are the development of technologies for closing the nuclear fuel cycle, which will significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste, as well as the creation of new materials applicable in medicine, nuclear energy and the space industry. In addition, the reactor is planned to simulate extreme states of matter-conditions that are unattainable in conventional laboratories.
Uzbekistan's joining this project marks a strategic step towards integration into the international scientific and technological community. For the country, this opens up access to a unique research infrastructure, allows it to conduct advanced scientific experiments and participate in global developments in the field of nuclear energy. Participation in the consortium also provides an opportunity for training specialists and joint publications in international scientific journals.
Against the background of growing interest in sustainable energy sources and the need to develop new generations of power plants, the MBIR project is considered as a key element of global scientific progress. Uzbekistan's involvement in this initiative strengthens the country's scientific credibility and opens up new horizons for fundamental and applied physics.
