On February 11, 2025, the delegation from the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) led by Director Tran Chi Thanh, together with representatives of the State Specialised Design Institute, part of ROSATOM, visited and worked with experts from the Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP), Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna, Russia.
The delegation was introduced to the modernized IBR-2 pulse reactor with a design power of 20 MW and its facilities using extracted neutron beams with different energy levels: YuMO, HRFD, REMUR, REFLEX, FSD, DN-12, DIN-2PI for experimental studies on the nuclear reactor.
During the meeting, VINATOM, JINR and ROSATOM discussed the participation and advice of FLNP experts in the design of the new research reactor in Vietnam, as well as participation in the analysis and safety assessment of the new reactor design, and the identification of key scientific directions for the future reactor, effectively exploiting the research and application channels of the reactor after it is put into operation. The commissioning of the future reactor is planned for the early 2030s within the framework of the National Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research (CNST) Project.
After the meeting, the parties agreed to strengthen the development of research facilities at the reactor under design in Vietnam and support Vietnam in developing a long-term human resource training plan for the period 2025-2030 by attracting Vietnamese scientists, students and postgraduates to participate in activities at the IBR-2 Reactor so that Vietnamese researchers can gain experience in deploying and developing spectrometers, efficiently exploiting the facilities using extracted neutron beams after the reactor is put into operation. JINR agreed to invest in installing a number of equipment systems at CNST, allowing Vietnamese, Russian and international scientists to participate in exploitation and research, as a branch of JINR in Vietnam.
The success of the CNST Project not only marks an important milestone in scientific and technological cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, but also an opportunity to enhance Vietnam’s nuclear energy potential in the coming period, turning CNST into an international nuclear research center, promoting applied research and human resource training in nuclear science.
