Consortium Leader of MBIR Reactor International Research Centre, LLC
and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Vinatom) have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding. The document confirms the readiness of the parties to develop
cooperation within the scientific platform of the IRC MBIR.
The document outlines the intention of the parties to develop interaction based on the international center, including participation in research conducted at its site and evaluating the conditions for Vinatom to join the IRC MBIR Consortium. For Vietnamese specialists this grants access to the experimental infrastructure of the MBIR reactor under construction —the highest-flux fast neutron research facility in the world.
Among the areas that the Vietnamese party plans to develop at MBIR are testing of structural materials and equipment under intense irradiation, validation of computer codes for safety assessment of nuclear projects, research on the behavior of various types of nuclear fuel and coolants, as well as studying the transmutation of minor actinides and methods to reduce the volume and activity of radioactive waste. The high neutron flux and wide range of irradiation parameters at MBIR will allow Vinatom to conduct research closely simulating the operating conditions of advanced reactor concepts and to enhance its own scientific and technological base for the development of the national nuclear program.
"This is a strategic step for the development of cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We look forward to long-term joint research work," emphasized the President of Vinatom, Dr. Tran Chi Thanh.
"The signed document consolidates our mutual readiness for interaction. I am confident that this will strengthen the international scientific agenda of MBIR," noted Vasily Konstantinov, Director General of "IRC MBIR" LLC.
The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Vinatom) is the leading state-run
scientific organization in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, operating under
the management of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Founded in 1976, the
institute serves as the nation’s primary center for fundamental and applied
research in the peaceful uses of atomic energy, nuclear physics, reactor
technologies, and radiation materials science. Vinatom is responsible for
providing scientific and technical support to national nuclear safety policies,
developing specialized technologies for medicine, industry, and agriculture,
and training highly qualified personnel for Vietnam’s emerging nuclear sector.
MBIR is a multipurpose fast-neutron research reactor with sodium coolant and the thermal capacity of approximately 150 MW. The reactor is under construction in Dimitrovgrad at the site of the State Scientific Center - Research Institute for Atomic Reactors (RIAR JSC, a part of the R&D division of Rosatom State Corporation) within the framework of the national technological leadership project "New Nuclear and Energy Technologies". Currently, work is underway on installing the equipment of the reactor's primary circuit: in 2025, the cold filter-traps of the emergency heat removal system loop were installed in their design positions. As part of the primary circuit installation, adapters of hot pipelines have been welded to the reactor vessel and the first pipeline blocks; the installation of the main process equipment in the sodium storage building has been completed; a fuel handling mechanism and steam-water washing sockets for spent fuel assemblies (FA) have also been delivered. In 2026, two emergency heat exchangers weighing 7.3 tons, 5 meters high, and 1.5 meters in diameter have been installed in their design positions.
MBIR is intended for performance of reactor tests, production of radioisotopes, production of modified materials, as well as testing of new type equipment and systems. The unique capabilities of the new reactor are expected to accelerate development of solutions for the two-component nuclear power and the closed nuclear fuel cycle, as well as design of safe Generation IV nuclear power systems.
The International Research Center (IRC) in the form of an international consortium is established on the basis of MBIR reactor. The Consortium participants gain ‘fast track’ access to carry out the experiments needed for national programs of nuclear energy peaceful applications. The Consortium format allows for flexible use of the reactor resource for the demands of the scientific community. IRC MBIR Consortium is open to new members. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Nuclear Physics Institute at the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Shanghai ZDAN International, a Chinese company, have already joint the Consortium as the main participants.
