A conference on the design and safe operation of research nuclear power reactors was held in Da Lat city, the Central Highland province of Lam Dong on March 19.

The conference drew the participation of more than 100 scientists from various countries including Russia, Japan, France, the US and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Experts from the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation (Rosatom) introduced specific features of research reactors in Russia, while sharing their experience in safe radiation and their proposal on the building of new-generation nuclear research reactors.

Meanwhile, scientists from the RoK, Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) focused on the use of nuclear reactors to support nuclear energy development.

They also touched upon safety inspection following incidents at research reactors as well as neutron experiments at Japan’s research nuclear reactor No. 3.

Vietnam took the occasion to introduce the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project which is currently underway.

Vietnam and Russia are discussing a plan to build a nuclear technology and research centre in Vietnam , which will help the country train qualified experts in nuclear power.

Vietnam has only one research nuclear power reactor, which was built in Da Lat City in 1960 but stopped working in 1968 and its fuel bars were removed and transferred to the US during 1974-75. The reactor was restored in 1982 with assistance from the Soviet Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency and started operating on March 20, 1984.

It has served research on nuclear and neutron physics as well as on nuclear applications.-VNA