Assistance in the equipment of a Radiochemical Laboratory and in the establishment of a Mobile Radiochemical Laboratory IQ 04.01/12

The overall objective of the project has been the preparation of Technical Specifications for the procurement of equipment required for a stationary and for a mobile radiochemical laboratory, to support the Government of Iraq as Beneficiary in the management of its nuclear legacy waste. The consortium of contractors consisted of UAB Lokmis from Lithuania, and Chornobyl Centre from Ukraine. The project duration was from June 2015 to April 2016.

The nuclear legacy of the Iraq is characterised by a nuclear research programme starting in 1956, and by destruction and looting of nuclear sites in war. Since 2004 international support has been provided on the planning for, and decommissioning of, the existing nuclear facilities; radioactive waste management; remediation of contaminated sites; and, drafting of the relevant legal and regulatory framework. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environment are the relevant national authorities involved in the decommissioning and radioactive waste management activities.

Project activities were carried out within five tasks. Task 1 developed the project implementation strategy, including planning and work distribution among the Contractor's experts, establishing efficient communication with the Beneficiary, End User, EC Project Manager and other partners participating in the project. Task 2 assessed the current status of the stationary radiochemical laboratory – buildings, rooms, equipment, etc –, defining the analytical capabilities needed for both the stationary and mobile laboratories based on the nature of the hazards to the environment, and current best practices. Task 3 identified the tools, techniques, and equipment for the stationary laboratory (including sample preparation, handling, conditioning and storage; hardware and software for analysis and/or storage and/or transmission of the measurement results, etc), while Task 4 identified the tools, techniques, and equipment for the mobile laboratory. Task 5 summarised work performed and the results achieved in the project

The key results of the project are:

• An assessment of the needs for the radio analytical laboratories, as developed in Task 2 and documented in the final task report
• Technical Specifications and a cost assessment for the equipment for the Stationary Radiochemical Laboratory, as developed in Task 3 and documented in the final task report
• Technical Specifications, design and a cost assessment for the Mobile Radiochemical Laboratory, as developed in Task 4 and documented in the final task report

The Technical Specifications combined for the Stationary and the Mobile Radiochemical Laboratories were submitted as one of the project deliverables and were used for a subsequent call for tender.

Following a kick-off meeting on 1-2 September 2015, two Project Steering Committee meetings were held on 19-20 January 2016 and 21-22 March 2016 (Final Meeting) to bring together beneficiary, contractor, and European Commission; to gather information through site visits; and, to discuss progress in the project’s tasks. It is worth noting that the project meetings attracted high political level approval and support to the on-going activities of the Iraqi stakeholders through participation of the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Conclusions and recommendations

The project was carried out in the foreseen timeframe and fully achieved its objectives. Furthermore, the Technical Specifications were used successfully in the subsequent procurement project. The approach to and implementation of the project is commendable.