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375473
Tue, 07/28/2015 - 11:54
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Rosatom subsidiary to create radiation sterilisation centres in India

NEW DELHI, July 27. /TASS/. Rusatom Overseas, a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, will invest $6.83 million in the creation in India of a network of radiation sterilisation centres, the company’s website reports on Monday. To this end, the company has acquired 51% of shares of the Indian partner Gamma Tech India Private Ltd. Representative of Rusatom Overseas in Moscow Ksenia Loskutova informed in writing the Indian business publications about the deal that has been prepared since September 2014. Sources in the Indian office of Rosatom have confirmed this information to TASS. According to them, the network that the partners plan to create will be engaged in the decontamination of food items and treatment of medical products with ionizing radiation. The project envisages the phased creation of 10 specialised contract irradiation centres in India under control of a joint Russian-Indian operator company. According to Ksenia Loskutova, "The project is at an advanced stage of implementation: a memorandum of understanding with India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has been signed, and its approval for the import of equipment for the centre construction has been obtained." The centres to be developed by Rusatom Overseas JSC will offer food decontamination and sterilisation of medical products by ionizing radiation, including sterilisation of medical products such as latex gloves, decontamination of fruit, berries and other products exported from India to developed countries, The Indian Express edition reports. The centres will be constructed in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and the first pilot centre is planned to be established in Tamil Nadu. This is the first such major intervention by a foreign government nuclear utility in India, one of the largest food producers in the world with about 600 million tonnes of food products generated every year. "Currently, the project is in its pre-investment phase with the internal corporate procedures being undertaken, after which the investment phase of the project will start," Loskutova of the strategic communications unit of Moscow-based Rusatom Overseas JSC said in response to a query from The Indian Express. Loskutova stated that in the first stage, it is planned to construct one pilot irradiation centre with two facilities that will provide services of food decontamination and sterilisation of medical products. The pilot centre will occupy an area of approximately 2 hectares at the Chezhianallur village near Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu," she stated in an email response. Currently, Rusatom Overseas is about to finish the construction of two radiation sterilisation centres in Russia. "When the radiation sterilisation centres in India become operational, we will get a great example of competitive product solution by Rosatom State Corporation in terms of specialised radiation centres not only in our country but also abroad," Dzhomart Aliev, CEO of Rusatom Overseas, said. According to Rosatom, radiation sterilisation is a physical process of irradiation of medical products by ionizing radiation. Products are subjected to irradiation in specialised radiation technology facilities where gamma-rays (gamma-rays of Co-60 or Cs-137 isotopes) or electron accelerators are used. When electrons go through material substance most of their energy is spent on ionisation, which results in destruction of microorganisms. Thus, the number of pathogenic bacteria and viruses reduces. The process of radiation sterilisation is the final stage of production of single-use medical products. When done properly, radiation sterilisation is a safe industrial process. In order to implement high-level requirements for safety, quality and efficiency, the radiation sterilisation procedure is constantly being updated, which is reflected in national and international guidelines and standards. India is one of the largest producers of food in the world: about 600 million tonnes of food products are produced in India every year. India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of fruit, vegetables, rice, wheat and peanut, and is among the top five producers of coffee, spices, cereal crops and oilseeds, also having a great potential in fisheries. Read more

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