The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Vinatom) has been designated as the parent organisation by Vietnam to participate in Russia’s MBIR Reactor-Based International Research Centre project. Joining the project is considered by Vietnam as a strategically significant step for the development of national nuclear science, technology and human resources.
Construction is nearing completion at the multi-purpose fast neutron research reactor (MBIR – Mnogotselevoi Bistrii Issledovatelskii Reaktor) being built at the Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR – Nauchno Issledovatelskii Institut Atomnikh Reaktorov) in Dimitrovgrad. The facility is planned to be put into operation in 2028.
The 150 MWt multi-purpose sodium-cooled fast neutron MBIR reactor will be the world’s largest facility of its kind. It is expected to provide the nuclear industry with a modern and technologically advanced research infrastructure for the coming 50 years. Research time needed at the new reactor will be several times less in comparison with the currently operating installations.
The International Research Centre (MTsI – Mezhdunarodnovo Tsentra Isledovanii) based on the MBIR reactor takes the form of an international consortium. Its participants have the opportunity, as a matter of priority, to conduct experiments necessary to advance their civil national nuclear programmes The consortium format allows for flexible use of reactor resources that meet the needs of the scientific community.
“This is a way for us to expand our capabilities in gaining direct access to a unique experimental base. This is a strategic step to develop the competencies of our physicists and nuclear engineers in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We look forward to a long-term technological partnership,” said Vinatom President Dr Tran Thi Thanh.
Vasily Konstantinov, Leader of the Consortium, noted: “Vietnam’s accession is an important stage in the expansion of the project’s international ecosystem. We see the high readiness of our Vietnamese colleagues for practical work and the creation of joint research programmes based on the MBIR reactor.”
The MTsI MBIR Consortium is open to new participants. Current members include:
- Rosatom State Corporation (Russia) – project founder and consortium leader through its dedicated subsidiary.
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) – international intergovernmental scientific organisation based in Dubna, Russia, which joined the consortium as a main participant.
- Nuclear Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan – joined as a major research partner.
- Shanghai ZDAN International Co (China) – company specialising in nuclear engineering logistics and high-tech supplies that joined as a main participant.
- Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) – signed a cooperation agreement to join the project to implement regional civil nuclear strategies.
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) – signed an official cooperation agreement with the consortium leadership.
While these organisations have legally signed on as main participants, the broader platform and its Advisory Board involve researchers, enterprises, and observers from over 20 countries. Organisations and scientific centres from the following nations participate in defining its research programmes:
- CIS & Europe: Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan.
- Asia: India, Vietnam, Turkey, UAE, Republic of Korea.
- Africa & Americas: Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) actively participate in advisory capacities.
