Russia is assisting Vietnam in developing the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center project, including the building of a 10MW research nuclear reactor and relevant human resource training, the Vietnam Institute of Atomic Energy (VINATOM) has announced.

Tran Chi Thanh, director of VINATOM, under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), made the announcement recently, adding that this is the first time Vietnam has implemented a project to build a large-capacity nuclear research reactor. 

The project is being deployed with the support of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (ROSATOM), on the basis of the Intergovernmental Agreement signed in 2011 between Hanoi and Moscow on building a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam, Thanh said.

The center is expected to replace the current Da Lat nuclear reactor, located in Da Lat City of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, to promote nuclear applications to contribute to the Southeast Asian country’s socio-economic development, the official stated.   

Expected to be located in southern Vietnam’s Dong Nai Province, the new nuclear reactor, with a capacity of 10MW, will focus on irradiation material science, biological science, radioisotopes, reactor engineering, and radiation safety, to name a few.  

In order to facilitate the verification and appraisal of a feasibility study, safety analysis reports, and design documents for the project, the MST has asked ROSATOM to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese officials to engage in implementing the basic design of the reactor and relevant safety calculations and analyses.

ROSATOM has also been supporting Vietnam in training research reactor operators, Thanh said.

In order to effectively implement the project, the MST has assigned VINATOM to build highly specialized groups on nuclear reactor physics, radioisotope production, materials research, nuclear activation research and analysis, nuclear safety, and environmental protection, among others.

The MST has also launched a plan to prepare qualified human resources for safely and effectively operating the new nuclear reactor upon its operation, stated Thanh. 

VINATOM and its Russian partner will speed up the execution of the project to ensure its progress and efficiency in compliance with regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Previously, VINATOM signed agreements on cooperation in research and staff training in related atomic energy fields with two other Russian partners, namely the National Research Nuclear University and Tomsk Polytechnic Research University in December 2023 and October 2017, respectively.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said during his visit to Vietnam in April 2023 that Russia was ready to participate in building a nuclear power plant in Vietnam.

Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Chernyshenko as saying that nuclear power can play an important role in ensuring Vietnam's energy sovereignty and helping the nation achieve its goals of combating climate change.

Russia is ready to participate and support Vietnam if Hanoi decides to build a high or low capacity nuclear power plant, he said during the visit, which included meetings with leaders of VINATOM and Vietnam’s nuclear energy industry insiders.

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko on Wednesday emphasized that Russia attaches importance to efforts to combat climate change and in equitable energy transition, affirming its readiness to cooperate with Vietnam in clean energy development and the decarbonization of the economy.

The ambassador stated that, as one of the world's leading countries in this field, Russia is ready to provide Vietnam with the most modern technologies for clean, reliable, and stable electricity.

He noted that nuclear power, chosen by many Asian countries as an alternative to traditional energy sources, is at the forefront of these technologies.

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