Revealing the role of the new nuclear reactor in Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - The nuclear reactor in the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center Project, jointly implemented by Vietnam and Russia, will play an important role.

Dalat nuclear reactor is the only place in Vietnam that researches and creates radioactive products (Photo: Wikipedia).

Nuclear energy inherently has many applications in research and socio-economic development. For that reason, many countries have restarted and focused resources in the field of nuclear energy. Not out of that trend, information from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said that Vietnam and Russia are currently cooperating to implement the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center project, with the goal of creating a nuclear reactor to support research. According to Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, the Russian Federation Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) and the MOST have agreed on the method of cooperation and implementation to build, operate and effectively exploit this project. Accordingly, the new nuclear reactor is expected to be in the form of a tank, with a capacity of 10 MW, using low-enriched fuel manufactured by Russia. After the site survey and preliminary design, the reactor will be located in Long Khanh City, Dong Nai. The reactor’s main task is to produce radioactive pharmaceuticals, used in cancer treatment and diagnosis. Combined with the existing nuclear reactor in Da Lat, the output of radioactive pharmaceuticals is expected to increase 5-7 times. This is an important task, because each year there are about 180,000 people with cancer, while the treatment efficiency in the country is currently only about 40%. This figure is lower than the 70% rate recorded in the world.

Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Photo: Ministry of Science and Technology).

Currently, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Ministry of Science and Technology) is assigned to build specialized groups in the fields of reactor physics, horizontal channel design, radioactive isotope production, materials research, silicon irradiation for semiconductors, activation analysis research, environmental protection and nuclear safety. At the regular press conference for the second quarter of 2024 organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Giang emphasized Vietnam's peaceful policy when talking about nuclear energy development. Specifically, these are the results of applications in medicine, agriculture, import and export of agricultural products, chip production... These are all fields associated with socio-economic development and practical needs. This is also the first time Vietnam has implemented a project to build a large-capacity nuclear reactor for research purposes.

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Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/he-lo-vai-tro-cua-lo-phan-ung-hat-nhan-moi-o-viet-nam-20240706053158799.htm