The facility, to be built by Atomstroyexport, the state-run nuclear construction company, will incorporate a 10-MW light-water nuclear reactor whose fuel will contain 20% of the unstable fission isotope uranium-235, the Rosatom statement says.
The IAEA-controlled center, for which up to 300 Myanmarans will be sent to study nuclear science in Russia, will produce medical isotopes, conduct research into silicon alloying, and will handle and dispose of its own nuclear waste, Rosatom said.
Myanmar is governed by a military regime and may therefore be seen as a concern if it has access to nuclear materials.
Although the Myanmar fuel is classified as "weapons-usable" because of its 20% purity, building a nuclear weapon from it would require extensive additional expertise. Uranium-235 does not breed plutonium as a result of nuclear fission.
