Vietnam developing nuclear tech power

Nguyen Hao Quang, deputy director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, said Vietnam has about 1,300 radioactive sources used in industry, medicine and agriculture.

The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute has conducted research and applied nuclear technology in some key industrial fields, such as oil and gas, transportation and construction.

A non-destructive testing (NDT) method has been applied to test the quality of bored piles, workshop foundations, welds, pipelines, tanks and boilers of many large national projects, such as My Thuan Bridge, Gianh River Bridge, Viet Tri Bridge, Phu My Thermal Power Plant, Dung Quat Refinery and hydropower projects.

The radioactive labeling technique has been applied to study sedimentation in Hai Phong Port, Dinh An Port, Tri An Reservoir and Thac Mo Hydropower Plant. In addition, Vietnam has applied Pb-210 and Cs-137 measurement techniques to study the speed of reservoir accretion for some lakes in Lam Dong Province.

In addition to the application of nuclear technology in the industrial sector, Vietnam has been successful in producing mutual rice varieties with high yield, good quality and disease resistance such as VN10, DT10, DT11 and A20. Vietnam has also used radiation technology to prolong the preservation time of frozen food and fruits serving exports.

Vietnam has been applying nuclear technology in medicine. For example, the Diagnostic Imaging Department in Bach Mai Hospital uses 128-slice and 256-slice CT scanners, radiation imaging with PET/CT and radio surgery with rotating gamma knife. In addition, the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute has conducted research and produced enough radioactive drugs to meet the demand for radioactive isotopes and radioactive preparations for medical establishments throughout the country.

Tran Chi Thanh, director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, said the research and application of atomic energy continues to be strongly promoted in Vietnam. The atomic energy sector is focusing on addressing tasks, including preparing human and other resources for the establishment of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, and promoting advanced techniques for nuclear power application.

At the 12th National Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology held in Nha Trang City, the south central province of Khanh Hoa, on August 2, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac said that Vietnam’s nuclear energy sector has grown and achieved remarkable results in recent years. However, analysts say the sector needs to overcome difficulties and challenges in order to enhance the potential of nuclear science and technology, and create additional products and services to meet the country’s increasing requirements.