Signed and sealed. The Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Ernest Nsabimana oversees the exchange of files between RAEB and Duali Fluid after the penning of the agreement. Photos by Moses Niyonzima.
The Government of Rwanda, represented by the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB), on Tuesday signed an agreement with Dual Fluid Energy Inc., a Canadian-German nuclear technology company, to collaborate on the development of a demonstration Dual Fluid nuclear reactor in Rwanda.
The demonstration nuclear reactor is expected to be operational by 2026 and the subsequent testing of the Dual Fluid technology is to be completed by 2028. The Government of Rwanda has agreed to provide the site and infrastructure for the project, while Dual Fluid is responsible for the technical implementation of the partnership.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Ernest Nsabimana and the State Minister for Infrastructure, Eng. Patricie Uwase, as well as representatives of Dual Fluid.
As part of the deal, Rwandan scientists will be given practical training in the field of nuclear technology. Dual Fluid aims to realize an entirely new type of nuclear fission, based on liquid fuel and lead coolant, that could exponentially increase the performance of current nuclear power.
The new reactors can be used to produce electricity, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels at costs below those of fossil fuels. According to RAEB CEO, Fidel Ndahayo, once the project is brought to life, it will help address the country’s energy demands and boost industrialisation.
“In order to meet the growing energy demand of its population, to boost the development of its industrial sector and to build an economy that is resilient to climate change, Rwanda is looking at nuclear energy to add to its energy generation mix,”
“In the spirit of remaining a ‘proof-of-concept’ destination as a strategy to accelerate integration of innovative technologies, Rwanda is establishing strategic cooperation partnerships with start-up companies involved in the design and development of small modular nuclear reactor technologies,” he said.
“The Dual Fluid technology has nuclear safety design features that make it accident-free. The technology will produce relatively low amounts of radioactive waste that will be safely managed, in line with existing international radioactive waste management safety standards,” he added.
Dual Fluid CEO Götz Ruprecht said that after investing years in research and assessing the efficacy of the technology, it is now time to roll it out and it will be the gamechanger in regard to new and alternative development of nuclear energy.
“Time is a critical factor for our technology. After years of detailed preparation and improving the concept in theory, we are now convinced that we have found an ideal partner for the first realization of our groundbreaking technology,”
“The reason why Dual Fluid chose to invest in Rwanda is its highly favorable governance and business environment that has already attracted major international players. Our demonstration reactor will show that a better, far more efficient way of generating nuclear energy is possible and within reach in the near future,” Ruprecht said.
Created in 2020, RAEB is a government agency whose mission to promote the peaceful use of atomic energy for sustainable socio-economic development.
RAEB is responsible for advising the Government on issues relating to atomic energy, promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy, establishing partnerships with national, regional and international entities in the field of atomic energy, promoting and supporting the construction and maintenance of nuclear energy installation for the purposes of production of electric energy and other atomic energy application.
The agency is also charged with supervising and managing the acquisition and use of nuclear fuel, managing nuclear waste, providing guidance on research for the peaceful use of nuclear materials, providing guidance on handling and mining of radioactive minerals, collaborating with institutions of higher learning and research institutes for the purposes of conducting research in matters related to peaceful use of atomic energy science and technology and engaging in research and development activities in matters related to atomic energy or peaceful purposes.
Dual Fluid is a Canadian-German nuclear company founded in 2021. It is creating an entirely new type of nuclear reactor that provides emission-free electricity and hydrogen, reduces today’s energy costs, and burns nuclear waste.
Dual Fluid differs from other new nuclear concepts by its high efficiency: the nuclear fuel is utilized up to a hundred times better than in today’s light water reactors. The operating temperature of 1000° C enables new heat applications.
The Dual Fluid operating principle, based on different fluids for fuel and cooling, is described in scientific publications and protected by patents. Dual Fluid Energy Inc. was incorporated as a public company in Vancouver, Canada, in January 2021 to bring the Dual Fluid technology to serial production status. The prototype of a Dual Fluid reactor is to be launched within this decade.
