Nguyen Tuan Khai

Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute

Capability Building towards a Sustainable

Nuclear Power Program

11th INPRO Dialogue Forum

ROADMAPS FOR A TRANSITION TO GLOBALLY

SUSTAINABLE NUCLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

IAEA, 20-23 October 2015

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Outline

1. General Overview

2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning & Development

3. Challenges for Nuclear Power Program of Vietnam

4. Oriented development of a sustainable NE program

5. Concluding remarks

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Total commercial gross: 128.4 TWh

Total capacity ~ 34,000 MW

Electricity consumption: 1,426 kW/cap/an

Import

3.5% Others

0.2%

Hydro

47.5%

Gas-thermal

1.7% Oil-thermal

2.0%

Coal-thermal 17.8%

Gas turbine

27.1%

1. General Overview on Energy in 2014

Year

Capacity (MW)

Summary of power development of Vietnam in period 1997 - 2012

Pmax Ptotal

5 Distribution on power sources and power plants

o Electricity demand increases

7- 10 % /year. In vision to

2030 the demand can be 500-

600 TWh;

o Energy supply capabilities by

domestic primary sources

may not meet the energy

demand after 2020. We face

power shortage

o Nuclear power development

becomes a solution?

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2006 - 2010

500kV 1994 2003 - 2005

After 2010->2020

DA NANG PLEIKU

TAN DINH

HA TINH

HOA BINH

DOC SOI

NHO QUAN

THUONG TIN

QUANG NINH

SOC SON SON LA

O MON

PHU MY

NPP

LAI CHAU

PHU LAM

2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning and Development

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From the early 1980s (1980 - 86): project for the development of

a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) presented by Vietnam Atomic

Energy Commission (at present VINATOM)

- Supported by the Prime Minister

- Initial talks with the Soviet Union for the transfer of a 440 MW

NPP

2006: Prime Minister’s Decision on the Strategy for Peaceful

Uses of Atomic Energy up to 2020

June 2008: Adoption of the Atomic Energy Law by the National

Assembly

November 2009: Adoption of the Resolution on the Ninh Thuan

NPP by the National Assembly:

- The foreign partner for Ninh Thuan 1 is Russia

- and for Ninh Thuan 2 is Japan

2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning and Development (con’t)

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2010: Master planning for the Peaceful Development and Use of

Atomic Energy up to 2020 approved by the Prime Minister

Areas covered by detailed planning (2010 – 2012): Agriculture;

Medicine; Industry; Geological Science and Environment;

Nuclear Power Development; HR Development; Disposal Site;

Capacity Building for Security; Capacity Building for R&D and

TSO

According to Master Planning VII for power generation

approved in 2011:

- By 2020 nuclear energy should account for 2.1% of the

energy mix

- By 2030 it should account for 10.1%

Of course, at present these data can be behind the times

due to a delay of Ninh Thuan NP projects

2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning and Development (con’t)

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2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning and Development (con’t)

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Supporting measures:

- MOUs signed with ROSATOM of Russia in March 2010 for

training of Vietnamese students and in October 2011 for the

establishment of an Information Center on Nuclear Energy in

Hanoi financed by ROSATOM.

- In September 2013, signing of an agreement on atomic

energy training with Hungary; and another with Japan.

- Roughly 150 million USD has been mobilized to serve the HR

master plan.

2. Vietnam’s Nuclear Energy Planning and Development (con’t)

As a Newcomer – Country embarking on nuclear power, Vietnam is facing

may challenges:

First, the shortage of human resources necessary to almost relevant

aspects, such as law and regulation, management, science and

technology, while capacities of Vietnam’s education and training institutions

are still limited;

Second, NP development from a low level of infrastructure, including legal

framework, competent regulatory body, Technical Support Organization,

research & development organizations;

Third, Assessment and selection of reactor technology meeting criteria put

by the Government (Gen. III, III+, proven, affordable to transmission grid);

3. Challenges for Nuclear Power Program of Vietnam

The IAEA has been assisting the new comer countries through Integrated

Nuclear Infrastructure Reviews (INIR) to provide international expert review

of infrastructure status and identifies areas for further action and makes

recommendations.

The INIR Missions for Vietnam: phase 1 in 2009 and phase 2 in 2012

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Fifth, Assuring safety, security, and non–proliferation requires to become

parties of some international instruments (Convention on the Physics

Protection & Nuclear Material and the Amendment, Vienna Convention,

Joint Convention);

Sixth, Fukushima accident raises more public concern, requests review of

nuclear safety and related issues. As a result, licensing time and

construction period will be prolonged and project cost will increase, etc.;

Seventh, implementing two projects with two partners of different

technical regulations and standards on sitting, technologies,…also

cause difficulties to formulation of regularity documents.

Fourth, Financing and investment, including infrastructure development,

work force training, resettlement,…;

3. Challenges for Nuclear Power Program of Vietnam (con’t)

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- Study on the mechanisms, policies and solutions to ensuring security of

fuel supply for nuclear power plants;

- Investigation and exploration of uranium resources, building

mechanisms and policies on mining natural uranium;

- Management and storage of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel;

- Formulating policies on the management of radioactive waste and

spent nuclear fuel;

- Building research capacity on reprocessing radioactive waste.

On June 2010: The PM’s Approval on planning for oriented

development of nuclear power in Vietnam up to 2030:

4. Oriented development of a sustainable NE program

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The research projects on nuclear fuel cycle at VINATOM

- Burn-up performance of the fuel structure of new generation reactors;

- Design of a new fuel pebble by adding spherical particles of B4C, Gd2O3

as burnable poison;

- Effectiveness of using 233,235U, 232Th and some MAs such as 231Pa, 237Np in the new fuel design for fuel pebble and fuel pin cell, fuel

assembly for the light water reactors;

- Optimization research for nuclear refueling;

- Management of radioactive waste;

- Burn-up performance of the fuel structure of PWR’s, especially

focusing on the technologies proposed for the two NPP projects

NinhThuan1&2;

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4) H.N. Tran et al., “Investigation of the ex-core noise induced by fuel assembly

vibrations in Ringhals-3 PWR”, to be submitted (2014).

5) Hoai Nam Tran, “Behaviour of neutron noise induced by localized perturbations in a

sodium-cooled fast reactor”, to be submitted, (2014).

6) Hoai Nam Tran, “A simulation procedure for continuous refuelling in pebble bed

reactors using Monte Carlo calculations”, to be submitted, (2014).

7) P.H. Liem, H.N. Tran, T.M. Sembiring, “Design optimization of a new homogeneous

reactor for medical radioisotope Mo-99/Tc-99m production”, submitted to, Progress in

Nuclear Energy (2013).

8) F. Zylbersztejn, H.N. Tran, I. Pázsit, P. Filliatre, C. Jammes, “Calculation of the

neutron noise induced by periodic deformations of a large sodium-cooled fast reactor

core”, to appear, Nuclear Science and Engineering, (2014).

9) Hoai Nam Tran and C. Demazière “Neutron noise calculations in hexagonal geometry

and comparison with analytical solutions”, Nuclear Science and Engineering, 175, 340-

351 (2013).

1) N. T. Khai and P.Q. Vuong “Simulation for Neutron Transport in PWR Reactor

Moderator and Evaluation for Proper Thickness of Light Water Reflector” J. of

communications in Physics, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2015).

2) Nguyễn Hữu Tiệp và Trần Việt Phú ,“Some neutronics calculations for the VVER-1000

reactors using SRAC and MCNP5”, Hội nghị KHCNHN11 tại Đà Nẵng 8/2015;

3) Trần Việt Phú, “Automated generation of burn up chain for reactor analysis

applications”, Hội nghị KHCNHN11 tại Đà Nẵng 8/2015

Typical publications

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10-) Hoai Nam Tran, F. Zylbersztejn, C. Demazière, C. Jammes, P. Filliatre “A multi-group

neutron noise simulator for fast reactor”, Annals of Nuclear Energy, 62, 158-169 (2013).

11) F. Zylbersztejn, H.N. Tran*, I. Pázsit, C. Demazière, H. Nylen, “On the dependence of

the noise amplitude on the correlation length of inlet temperature fluctuations in PWRs”,

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 57, 134-141 (2013).

12) Hoai Nam Tran and Van Khanh Hoang, “Neutronic characteristics of an OTTO

refueling PBMR,” Nuclear Engineering and Design, 253, 269-276 (2012).

13) Anders Jonsson, Hoai Nam Tran*, Victor Dykin, Imre Pázsit, “Analytical investigation

of the properties of neutron noise induced by vibrating absorption and fuel rods,”

Kerntechnik, 77 (5), pp 371-380 (2012).

14) Hoai Nam Tran, “Fuel burnup performance of an OTTO refueling pebble bed reactor

with burnable poison loading” Progress in Nuclear Energy, 60, pp. 47-52 (2012)

15) V. Larsson, C. Demazière, I. Pázsit, H.N. Tran, “Neutron noise calculations using the

Analytical Nodal Method and comparisons with analytical solutions,” Annals of Nuclear

Energy, 38, 808-816 (2011).

16) Hoai Nam Tran, Akio Yamamoto and Yoshihiro Yamane, “An improved inverse

analysis model for fuel loading pattern optimization” Journal of Nuclear Science and

Technology 46 (12) 1162-1169 (2009).

17) Hoai Nam Tran and Yasuyoshi Kato, “An optimal loading principle of burnable poisons

for an OTTO refueling scheme in pebble bed HTGR cores,” Nuclear Engineering and

Design, 239 (11) 2357-2364 (2009)

Name: Nuclear Energy Specialists Training – NEST

The plan is focused on training of leaders for Vietnam nuclear power

program

The plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology

(MOST) and Vietnam Government

A special national scholarship is needed to attract the best new

engineers/Masters/PhD

NEST Program

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Nuclear Energy Specialists Training (NEST)

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Nuclear Power Safety

New

Research

Reactor

Material Science

North Vietnam Institutes,

Universities

South Vietnam Institutes

and Universities

Dalat NRI

Dalat University

Dalat Nucl.

Research

Center

(DNRC)

NP

Ps

alo

ng

th

e M

idd

le

Re

gio

n c

oa

sta

l a

rea

o Role of the CNEST in the

NPP program

Research Environment Dalat Nuclear Research Institute

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Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNEST)

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Proposal on the research projects on new fuel design, optimization for

nuclear refueling and management of radioactive waste;

Creation of good research environment for the talented researchers to

work after study/training abroad is necessary (Center for Nuclear Science

and Technology – CNEST project);

5. Concluding Remarks

We would like to pursue a sustainable nuclear power program although

at present it is facing great challenges, especially for qualified HRD and

capability building;

We highly appreciate the fruitful assistance from the IAEA and

international partners so far to Vietnam and we do hope to continue

receiving more assistances in development of a national infrastructure for

national nuclear power in coming years

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