Dalat Nuclear Reactor - Strategic Science Platform
Reporting at the working session, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Research Cao Dong Vu said: The Institute of Nuclear Research is a public science and technology organization under the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINAE), performing the functions of managing, operating and exploiting the Da Lat Nuclear Reactor; scientific research, technology development, human resource training, technical support for state management; production, business, supply of products and services in the field of nuclear and related fields; import and export of materials and equipment for activities within the assigned functions and tasks according to the provisions of law.
Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung works at the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung and the delegation of the Ministry of Science and Technology visited the Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant.
Director Cao Dong Vu emphasized some of the Institute's outstanding achievements over 40 years of operation. Specifically:
Regarding research and technical assurance for the Da Lat Nuclear Refinery. The Institute has mastered the techniques and technology of the Nuclear Refinery in management, operation and exploitation. Safely operated the Reactor for more than 71,500 hours at a nominal capacity of 500 kW for scientific research activities, product manufacturing, services and training and human resource training. At the same time, the Institute has mastered neutron and hydrothermal physics calculations to design the core with low-enriched fuel (LEU); mastered the calculations and designs of periodic fuel swap configurations, aiming to optimize fuel use, save costs but still ensure safety. The results achieved in the field of reactor physics and engineering research not only contribute significantly to extending the life of the Da Lat Nuclear Refinery but also serve as a foundation for the Institute to participate more effectively in the appraisal of the design calculations of the new Research Reactor of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center Project that is being implemented.
Regarding nuclear physics research, the Institute has built 3 high-quality measurement systems: a coincidence spectrometer system to conduct nuclear structure research according to the (n, 2) reaction; 2 PGNAA measurement systems to develop techniques and sample analysis services for industries to conduct international-level basic and applied research. Horizontal channels No. 1 and No. 2 of the Reactor have been put into use to serve nuclear physics research and training. Up to now, all four horizontal neutron channels of the Nuclear Power Plant have been used for various research purposes.
Notably, the Dalat Nuclear Power Plant is one of four reactors in the world that successfully applies neutron filtering technology to produce monoenergetic neutron streams, a necessary tool for conducting experimental nuclear physics research, serving basic research on nuclear data and structure as well as applied research. The Institute has successfully developed and applied the gamma-gamma coincidence method to study the level diagram, level density and gamma force function of some nuclei through thermal neutron capture reaction. This is an important tool with high complexity in establishing measurement systems and data processing; helping to better understand the structure and properties of nuclei.
With its characteristic neutron streams, built-in equipment and research methods, the Da Lat Nuclear Refinery has been and is a facility that contributes new nuclear data to the international nuclear data library, and is a prestigious specialized training facility in the field of Nuclear Physics and Reactor Physics for the Vietnamese nuclear energy industry and universities. Many scientists have grown up from this place, and have been and are making many contributions to the atomic energy industry in particular and the country in general in different positions.
In research on technology and production of radioactive isotopes, the Institute has The technological process for producing the main radioactive isotopes at the Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant, such as: I-131, Tc-99m generator, P-32 pressure plate and some other isotopes have also been successfully researched and developed at the Institute. In addition, many types of radioactive labeling KITs used in diagnosing brain diseases, bone cancer, liver and bile diseases, early stage Parkinson's disease, neuroendocrine tumors, etc. have been successfully researched and produced to serve the needs of diagnosis and treatment of domestic nuclear medicine departments, reducing the need for imports from abroad. The Institute conducts research on the preparation and production of some new radioactive isotopes such as 177 Lu, 165 Dy, 166 Ho, 186 Re, 153 Sm, 90 Y microspheres...; Successfully researched the technique of labeling monoclonal antibodies with radioactive isotopes for use in diagnosis and targeted therapy - an advanced research direction in the world. These are important initial results to meet the increasing demand for types and quantities of radioactive isotopes of domestic nuclear medicine facilities in the future; at the same time, preparing the foundation for effective exploitation of the Multi-Function Research Reactor, with a capacity of 10 MW in the ongoing Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center Project...
Increase the role of specialized training and research
At the working session with the Institute of Nuclear Research, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized: Nuclear technology is a strategic field, requiring Vietnam not only to approach but also to master. Research results must achieve applied products serving the country's development with specific goals such as research on SMRs and large-capacity reactors, along with the requirement to ensure nuclear radiation safety.
To achieve that goal, the Minister proposed building a key laboratory at the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute to master nuclear and energy technology, and improve the efficiency of exploiting equipment in both research and economics. In addition, it is necessary to set higher goals to attract high-quality human resources, taking advantage of many other resources, including from abroad. "To attract talented people to work and contribute, we must create 'great' jobs," said the Minister.
In his speech, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed the strategic role of the Institute of Nuclear Research in training, research and development of nuclear technology, especially in the context of Vietnam preparing to deploy nuclear power and advanced technologies such as small modular reactors (SMR).
According to the Minister, the Institute of Nuclear Research used to be the only nuclear center in the country, undertaking the functions of training, research, production of radioactive isotopes and industrial irradiation. However, as the demand for nuclear power development increased, the current capacity of the Institute began to show its limitations.
The period 2025-2035 is a pivotal period, when the 10MW reactor of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research in Dong Nai has not yet come into operation, the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology will continue to play the role of a key national center. However, according to the Minister, this is also the time to restructure functions: Reduce the role of industrial production, increase the role of specialized training and research.
"We have a great opportunity, a past, a very good present to become a center for practical training associated with nuclear innovation in Vietnam. There is no place more suitable than the Institute for this goal," the Minister emphasized. Therefore, the orientation is to transform the Institute of Nuclear Research, including the Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant, into a national applied research and operation training center, serving civil applications, innovation and especially preparing for the future development of Vietnam's nuclear power, including SMR technology. From the model of "mainly applied research", the Institute will gradually shift to the model of "training combined with applied research".
According to the orientation, the Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering will become a national-scale pre-operational practical training center. This will be the place where engineers, operators and safety officers of Vietnamese nuclear power plants must undergo practical training before entering actual work.
The Minister emphasized that the Institute of Nuclear Research is a lifesaver for human resources when Vietnam enters nuclear power. Without the Institute, we cannot train enough resources for an industry that requires such high levels of expertise and standardization. After 2035, the Institute of Nuclear Research needs to shift to flexible, specialized research, especially supporting startups, innovation and the development of new technologies.
To fulfill its new role, the Minister requested that the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology should invest in modern equipment, automation systems, especially national simulation systems for training. By 2035, the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology will gradually reduce the production of industrial isotopes, gradually transfer this function to the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research in Dong Nai, and focus on specialized research, rapid testing, technical support and training for the Central - Central Highlands region.
Become a center for training, operating and testing SMR technology in Vietnam
With the trend of developing SMR reactors in the world, the Minister oriented the Institute to become a center for training, operating and testing SMR technology in Vietnam. The first SMR test reactor will be located here, which is a place to standardize human resources and test auxiliary technologies such as digitalization of operations, artificial intelligence monitoring, and prediction of abnormalities in operations. The Minister proposed that at least 20% of the human resources at the Institute of Nuclear Research should be information technology experts, to meet the digitalization requirements of the nuclear industry in the future.
The Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant will be the only national facility that can undertake the role of training and technical support for the pre-operation of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant and the SMR reactor. Therefore, the Institute of Nuclear Research needs to: Upgrade the Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant into a national-scale practical training center, a pre-operation center for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant. To do this, it is necessary to urgently invest in projects, especially the national simulation system; Build multi-level training programs for Vietnam's nuclear power; The Institute of Nuclear Research is the international connection point for training in the nuclear field in Vietnam.
The Minister directed that in August 2025, Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh will preside over and complete the proposal to submit to the Government for consideration and permission to assign a special task to the Institute to become a National Practical Training Center, supporting the implementation of the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam. After being approved in principle, the Ministry will develop and submit a specific project.
Not only playing a domestic role, the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology is expected to become an international hub for nuclear training, especially in the field of SMR for the ASEAN region. This is also the place where the first nuclear energy startups in Vietnam gather, opening a new direction combining digital technology and nuclear.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung visited the Traditional House of the Institute of Nuclear Science.
Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that the Institute of Nuclear Research is currently facing three golden opportunities: Vietnam is determined to deploy nuclear power; the reactor in Dong Nai is not yet operational; and SMR technology is about to be deployed.
The Minister said that we are entering a turning point in the nuclear energy industry. The Institute of Nuclear Research has a great and unique mission, to become the national center preparing for the new future of Vietnam's nuclear energy.
Delegation of Ministry of Science and Technology visited Da Lat Nuclear Power Plant.
At the end of the working session, the Minister expected that the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute would maintain its confidence, establish a worthy position in the new period, become a key research and training center with regional influence, prepare forces for Vietnam's nuclear power, and be determined to fulfill its national responsibilities in the new era of nuclear energy./.
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/vien-nghien-cuu-nhat-co-su-menh-lon-lao-va-duy-nhat-tro-thanh-trung-tam-dao-tao-thuc-hanh-quoc-gia-ve-nang-luong-nhat-nhan-197250803112439949.htm
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