Rosatom, A. Brown Co. to build PHL fruit irradiation center

SOCHI, Russia - Rosatom Healthcare, the non-energy arm of Russia's State Nuclear Energy Corp. (ROSATOM) on Tuesday signed a project development agreement with publicly-listed A Brown Co. Inc. on the construction of an irradiation center in the Philippines.

A Brown Co. President Roel Castro and Rosatom Healthcare Deputy Director General Rustam Rakhmatukin signed the agreement during the 10th International Forum ATOMEXPO 2018 in Sochi.

"Both parties agreed to conduct a feasibility study for the setting up of irradiation facility in the Philippines," Castro told members of the Philippine media on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.

The agreement outlined the stages of the project development, from feasibility studies to construction and commissioning.

The agreement was in line with a memorandum of understanding and framework agreement between Rosatom International Network and A Brown in September 2017.

"This is already the second step because we already signed a memorandum of understanding last year to scan the Philippine environment and how we can make us of the technology... so now we go into something specific, which is the feasibility study," Castro explained.

The A Brown chief expected the feasibility study to take three to four months complete, with an investment agreement targeted before the end of the year or early next year.

According to Rosatom Healthcare, the Russian firm and A Brown's pilot project would be built in Davao City. The facility would provide commercial services of product treatment with ionizing radiation.

It may also serve as a sterilization platform for medical devices.

Asked how much would the project cost, Castor said it was still too early to tell as both parties still needed to complete the feasibility study.

“This pilot project that we plan will be the first commercial facility in the Philippines and a major breakthrough which will add value to existing tropical fruits producers looking for export markets, as well as enhancing the quality of high value medical products," Castro said.

Sanitized produce

A Brown Co.'s president pointed out that establishing an irradiation facility in the Philippines was crucial as it would improve the country's fruit exports.

"We are big exporters of bananas, mango, and pineapple but it seems we are not able to catch up technology wise... Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are already into this," Castro said.

The irradiation process would prolong the shelf life of farm produce for another three or four weeks as it sanitized these produce using radiation.

For his part, Rosatom Healthcare's Rakhmatukin said that the ongoing discussions with A Brown were a "very prospective one."

"We think we can merge Russian technology and knowledge with local esteemed partners for the benefit of the country and for the joint venture that we are going to build," Rakhmatukin said.

The Rosatom Healthcare official added that the Russian firm might consider multiplying the irradiation center project if the demand for irradiation in the Philippines increased.

“Rosatom Healthcare offers a turn-key solution in radiation technologies, which will include design and construction of the irradiation centers, equipment manufacturing and delivery, training of personnel and commissioning of the facility," Rosatom Healthcare CEO Denis Cherednichenko had said in a statement.

"The technology we offer to our Philippine partners is based on more than 70 years of experience in nuclear field, and we hope it will contribute to the sustainable development of the Philippines."

PNRI director Carlo Arcilla, likewise, welcomed the irradiation project between Rosatom and A Brown. "This is a good example of nuclear application for future development," Arcilla said in a press statement.

The ATOMEXPO International Forum is an annual international exhibition first organized by Russia's State Nuclear Energy Corp. (ROSATOM) in 2009. The forum provides nuclear power companies a venue in which knowledge and experience in nuclear power development could be shared, and where public awareness on the benefits of nuclear energy could be raised.

The 10th ATOMEXPO was held in Sochi, Russia on May 14 to 16 with the theme "Global Partnership - Joint Success." — DVM, GMA News

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This story is produced as part of an invitation for the Philippine media to the ATOMEXPO International Forum sponsored by ROSATOM.