VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam will develop a nuclear science & technology center with two components in Da Lat and Hanoi, according to the director of the Vietnam Atomic Research Institute, Tran Chi Thanh.

The center will be built with preferential loans of $US500 million from the Russian government. 

The center will help improve Vietnam’s science & technology capacity to acquire technology to be transferred, proceeding to self-control in operation, maintenance and repair of nuclear power plants, ensuring the plants’ safe and efficient operation.

The research center will bring opportunities to carry out experiments and promote the utilization of atomic energy in socio-economic fields. 

The key component of the project will be the nuclear reactor for research which has the expected capacity of 15 MW, or 30 times higher than the operational reactor in Da Lat.

At present, the reactor in Da Lat can only satisfy 30 percent of the radioisotope demand from hospitals in Vietnam. However, once the new reactor becomes operational, 100 percent of the demand will be met.

Thanh affirmed that in the last 50-60 years of the development of the atomic industry, there has been no unfortunate accident with research reactors. The research nuclear reactor is safe, and will be put into operation by 2025.

Nguyen Hao Quang, deputy director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute told the press on the sidelines of the 2017 Nuclear & Science Day held in Hanoi on May 18 that the major component of the center – CNEST - would be in Dong Nai province instead of Da Lat City as initially planned.

The key component of the project will be the nuclear reactor for research which has the expected capacity of 15 MW, or 30 times higher than the operational reactor in Da Lat.

Quang said that the subordinate component of CNET would still be set up in Hanoi as planned, but instead of focusing on researching and dealing with nuclear safety matters, it will focus on radioactivity monitoring and warnings and on risk management and analysis.

He also said at first CNEST wanted to employ 250 workers, the plan has changed. As the center won’t develop divisions to support nuclear power as initially planned, the number of workers will be lower.

As for the ideal location for the center, ROSATOM suggested that it should not be too far from city, while it needs to be near international airport. It would be better if it is near sites which will use the center’s products in the future, including hospitals and research centers. 

If so, Hanoi would be an ideal place for the center.

Vietnam has been utilizing nuclear power in an effective way in three fields – healthcare, agriculture and industry. Vietnam has created many rice, maize and soybean varieties which have brought high yields and quality.