FNCA 2025 Workshop Opens Up Many New Cooperation Opportunities

Promoting nuclear cooperation for sustainable development of Asia

FNCA is an international cooperation initiative initiated by Japan, bringing together member countries in the region to promote the safe, secure and sustainable use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Over the years, FNCA has become an effective platform for scientists, experts and managers to share knowledge, experience and transfer technology in a wide range of areas, from radiation applications in agriculture and medicine to nuclear safety and radioactive waste management.

Through its annual projects and workshops, FNCA has made important contributions to enhancing technical capacity, building human resources and improving regulatory infrastructure for member countries, contributing to the creation of a cohesive and growing Asian nuclear community.

FNCA 2025 is organized by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the host country’s premier nuclear research and development agency. The event attracted delegates from FNCA member countries, including Japan, Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Vietnam.

At the workshop, countries presented overviews of the management of radioactive waste and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), highlighting their progress, challenges and strategic directions. In-depth technical discussions focused on hot topics such as waste acceptance criteria (WAC), waste treatment technologies from the mining industry, building a safety culture and solutions for national repositories.

Vietnam's Contribution - Strategic Vision and Practical Solutions

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuc Phuong, representative of the Institute of Radioactive and Rare Earths Technology, presented a national report titled "Vietnam's strategic approach to radioactive waste management". The report updated the landmark changes in national policy, when the Vietnamese Government officially announced the restart of the nuclear power program and identified rare earths - uranium as a strategic industry.

The presentation shared Vietnam’s valuable practical experiences in managing NORM waste from the titanium industry, research results in the uranium fuel cycle, and especially the recent achievements in successfully upgrading and renovating the Institute’s radioactive waste storage facility. The report also frankly pointed out major challenges in the future, including the need to build a national-level storage facility, improve the capacity to manage the entire fuel cycle, and develop high-quality human resources.

Vietnam's presentation was highly appreciated by international delegates, not only providing a clear overview of strategic orientation but also for its highly referenceable practical experiences, especially in the context that many countries in the region are also facing similar challenges.

FNCA - Leverage for the development of Vietnam's rare earth and nuclear technology industry

The FNCA 2025 conference has ended successfully, opening up many new cooperation opportunities. For ITRRE in particular and VINATOM in general, participating in FNCA activities has great strategic significance.

Through this platform, Vietnam can access advanced knowledge, practical lessons and modern technology from countries with advanced nuclear science such as Japan and China. This is a resource that helps Vietnam solve complex technical challenges, from developing waste acceptance criteria, treating NORM waste from rare earths, to designing and assessing the safety of a future national repository.

Cooperation within the FNCA framework not only helps to improve technical capacity but also contributes significantly to the training and development of a team of experts, meeting the requirements of the country's nuclear power program and strategic industries, towards a clean and sustainable energy future. As planned, the FNCA 2026 Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.