Bolivia and Spain To Collaborate on Nuclear Fusion Research

Sept. 29, 2023, (EIRNS)—Dr. Hortensia Jiménez, executive director of Bolivia’s Nuclear Energy Agency (ABEN), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the director general of Spain’s Center for Energy, Environmental and Technology Research (Ciemat), Yolanda Benito Moreno, to carry out joint scientific research projects in nuclear fusion, the Bolivian Information Agency (ABI) reported today from Madrid. Jiménez was accompanied by Bolivia’s Hydrocarbons and Energy Minister Franklin Molina, as part of a tour of several European countries, which included their attendance at the 67th general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna on Sept. 25.

Research on fusion energy isn’t new to Bolivia. On Aug. 16, 2019, EIR reported on it in “Bolivia Sets its Sights on Fusion Energy and Eliminating Poverty” by Dennis Small and Cynthia Rush.

Ciemat covered the MOU on its website. The agreement will establish a “framework for joint collaboration between both institutions on the development and execution of scientific research projects and programs for nuclear fusion,” ABI reports. Both institutions will also be able to participate as well in national, regional and European research programs. This will include the exchange of scientific and technological information, of research personnel, shared use of installations and equipment, as well as collaboration on organizing joint activities aimed at promoting and reporting about each other’s scientific culture and technological advances. While in Madrid, Dr. Jiménez was able to visit the nuclear fusion device, TJ-II, and the liquid metals laboratory that are part of Ciemat’s National Fusion Laboratory.

At the IAEA conference on Sept. 25, Minister Molina gave a presentation on the advances of Bolivia’s nuclear energy program. The following day, Molina and Dr. Jiménez signed an agreement with the Milan Polytechnic University on training human resources and carrying out technological research on nuclear energy.