Russia and Morocco agree to install a nuclear power plant 400km from the Canary Islands

The Russian Government has approved a collaboration agreement with Morocco to install a nuclear power plant "for peaceful purposes" near the Atlantic coast in the city of Sidi Boulbra, which is only 400 kilometres from Lanzarote.

As reported by the Tass agency and the Moroccan press, the order was approved by the Russian Federation on Wednesday and represents the ratification of the memorandum on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, signed in 2017, between the Russian state agency Rosatom, who specializes in the nuclear energy sector, and CNESTEN (National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Techniques) in Morocco, who are responsible for the regulation and nuclear safety.

The agreement provides for collaboration between the two countries for the creation of nuclear energy infrastructures, the design and construction of nuclear reactors, as well as water desalination plants, and elementary particle accelerators.

Russia is also expected to help Rabat explore and develop uranium deposits in Morocco, supply nuclear fuel for power and research reactors, and manage radioactive waste, as well as train the staff who will work at the nuclear power plant.

The development of nuclear energy and technology has been a priority for Morocco for years, as in the 1990s it was proposed to build a plant in Tan Tan which did not materialise, to diversify its energy sources to guarantee supply in the face of international fluctuations. The agreement does not include a specific deadline for the opening of the plant.