A trilateral agreement has been signed by Russia’s Federal Environmental Operator (FEO – Federalnovo Ekologicheskovo Operatora), Rosatom Environmental Integrator and Vietnam’s Foundation for the Development of Science & Technology of the Academy of Sciences & Technologies.
The agreement, signed in Moscow, aims to develop long-term cooperation in the field of environmental safety, hazardous waste management and elimination of accumulated environmental damage. FEO Director General Maxim Pogodin shared his experience in creating a unified waste management system for hazard classes I-II in Russia.
“This agreement opens a new page in Russian-Vietnamese environmental cooperation,” he said. “Possessing unique experience in the field of hazardous waste management, elimination of accumulated environmental harm and implementation of digital solutions, we are ready, together with partners, to develop effective tools for environmental modernisation and sustainable development.” Stanislav Zhabrikov, FEO’s Director for the implementation of environmental projects, presented a plan for the implementation of a four-component cooperation strategy for the reclamation of waste disposal sites.
Rosatom Environmental Integrator Deputy Director General for Strategy, Natalya Kudlaeva, presented solutions related to organic waste and industrial wastewater. “The water strategies of both Russia and Vietnam contain tasks to reduce discharges of untreated wastewater into water bodies. The solutions being developed at Rosatom Ecological Integrator not only achieve the established discharge standards, but also provide the opportunity to introduce water circulation solutions,” she said.
The Director of Science & Technology Development at Vietnam’s Academy of Sciences & Technologies, Pham Minh Thuan, noted that interaction with FEO will be aimed at implementing compiling a register of objects of accumulated environmental damage, their certification and direct elimination.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed the preparation and approval of a joint Priority Action Plan aimed at introducing a strategy for the reclamation of waste disposal sites in Vietnam. Once approved by the Academy of Sciences & Technologies of Vietnam, the Institute of Sciences & Technologies of Energy and Environment of Vietnam, as well as relevant ministries, the plan will become the basis for the practical implementation of the agreements. Rosatom noted the importance of the agreements in view of Vietnam’s plans to embark on a nuclear power programme.
Rosatom’s environmental sector plays an important role in ensuring the environmental safety of the nuclear industry, the environmental well-being of the population and sustainable development. The activities of the sector’s enterprises include: management of radioactive and hazardous industrial waste (safe storage, processing and disposal); environmental monitoring; rehabilitation of contaminated areas (including elimination of radiation facilities) and restoration of ecosystems.
The enterprises are developing and implementing technologies to close the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), which makes it possible to convert nuclear fuel into a renewable resource and minimise the volume of radioactive waste. As part of the national project Environmental Well-Being, the sector oversees a national system for managing industrial waste of hazard classes I-II which involves the creation of processing facilities and the introduction of digital tools to monitor the process of managing this waste.
