The government of Ecuador aims to put the country's first nuclear reactor into operation within the next ten years, Azernews reports.
According to the Ecuador's Ministry of Environment and Energy, a special agency will be established to oversee the nuclear program in the country. This agency will act as an interagency coordination platform, bringing together all state structures involved in the nuclear program, and will provide technical guidance throughout the process until the operation of Ecuador's first nuclear reactor, RNE1, which is expected within the next ten years.
The ministry noted that Ecuador has already attracted the interest of other countries active in the nuclear industry and leading companies.
It was stated that the implementation of the nuclear program will, in the medium and long term, serve as a strategic complement to the national energy system and create opportunities to evaluate the application of nuclear technologies for clean and stable electricity production, including the use of modular reactors.
