IAEA: Morocco’s Nuclear Energy Safety Standards Are ‘Solid’

Rabat – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Morocco’s nuclear energy safety mechanisms are “solid.”
According to a review from an expert team from the IAEA, Morocco has “considerable” capabilities pertaining to emergency response (EPR) in case of nuclear emergencies, German news outlet the Engineering Review reported.
The IAEA team finished an Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) mission last week. The review mission was requested by the Moroccan government, which sent an official invitation to the organization.

Led by Canada’s Environmental and Radiation Health Services Director General Brian Ahier, the IAEA mission included international experts from the US, Canada, and New Zealand among others as well as from the IAEA itself.

The team was hosted by the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR), the report indicates.

As of November 2022, Morocco does not have a nuclear power plant, but the country is deliberating the possibility of constructing one.

However, Morocco is home to a nuclear reactor for research purposes at the Maamora Nuclear Research Center, located 25 kilometers from the capital Rabat.

The nuclear reactor research center is managed by the country’s National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technology (abbreviated to CNESTEN in French).

“Overall, Morocco has a solid basis for their EPR arrangements,” Ahier was quoted as saying in the report.

“This EPREV mission has identified a high level of capability throughout the country for field radiological emergency operations,” the director general continued.

“The team recommended that Morocco finalize the documents detailing its emergency management system, which will help the country to strengthen its EPR arrangements and capabilities moving forward,” he said.

“The cooperation with the IAEA through the EPREV mission has given Morocco clarity on where to further develop our EPR capabilities,” AMSSNuR’s Director Mounji Zniber reportedly said.

“We are pleased to be leaders in outreach and capacity building and look forward to continued cooperation with IAEA moving forward,” Zniber explained.