Joel Santos highlights benefits of U.S.-Dominican nuclear cooperation agreement

Santo Domingo.- Minister of Energy and Mines Joel Santos highlighted the benefits of a newly signed memorandum of understanding between the Dominican Republic and the United States aimed at expanding cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

Santos said the agreement represents an important step in the country’s strategy to diversify its energy matrix and strengthen scientific and technological development. The framework will promote collaboration in areas such as nuclear medicine, radioisotope production, scientific research, specialized workforce training, and the enhancement of institutional capacities related to nuclear technology.

The minister emphasized that the Dominican Republic has significantly diversified its energy sources over the past two decades, with renewable energy now accounting for nearly 25% of electricity generation. He noted that nuclear energy could become a future option for providing stable, low-carbon electricity through advanced technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs), while clarifying that the agreement does not involve plans to immediately build nuclear power plants.

Santos also stressed the potential impact on healthcare, particularly through improvements in nuclear medicine, cancer diagnosis and treatment, and access to radiopharmaceutical technologies. Additional applications include agriculture, food security, water management, environmental monitoring, and industrial processes.

The memorandum, signed in Washington by Santos and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, establishes a framework for knowledge exchange, technological development, and capacity building under international standards for safety, radiological protection, and nuclear non-proliferation.