Science with Fast Neutrons: Vietnam Joins Russia’s MBIR Reactor Project
The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) and the operator of the MBIR international consortium have signed a memorandum of understanding.
The agreement gives Vietnamese researchers an opportunity to conduct experiments at the fast-neutron research reactor now under construction in Dimitrovgrad, Russia.
A Reactor Built for Research
A Multipurpose Fast Neutron Research Reactor (MBIR) is under construction at the site of the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors in Ulyanovsk Region. The project team expects it to have the highest neutron flux of any fast-neutron research reactor in the world. Developed in Russia exclusively for scientific experiments, the reactor will generate a neutron flux that allows researchers to study the behavior of materials and nuclear fuel under unique conditions.
VINATOM, for its part, has identified five areas of research it plans to pursue at the reactor: testing structural materials, studying nuclear fuel, testing coolants, validating computational codes and investigating minor actinides. The last area is linked to the search for technologies to reprocess long-lived components of radioactive waste.
The memorandum confirms the parties’ intentions, but the reactor is still under construction, so joint research remains a future undertaking. That future may not be far off: the reactor vessel, manufactured at Atommash, has already been installed at the Dimitrovgrad site.
Validating Computational Codes
Validating computational codes is one of the five areas Vietnam has identified for work at MBIR. Nuclear engineers use software to model neutron distribution, temperature and fuel behavior when designing nuclear facilities. They then verify the accuracy of these models by comparing their predictions with actual measurements. A sample is irradiated in a reactor, its properties are measured and the results are compared with the model’s calculations. Any discrepancies show which computational methods need to be refined.
In April 2026, Rosatom Technical Academy trained specialists to use Russian software packages HYDRA-IBRAE/LM and COMPLEX. The first models processes in facilities that use liquid-metal coolants, while the second assesses the radiation safety of fast reactors. MBIR will generate experimental data to validate these Russian software tools. Once verified, the models can be used in more complex engineering projects.
A Path Toward Multilateral Cooperation
The scientific consortium offers significant opportunities for participating countries and has attracted interest from Russia’s international partners. By mid-2024, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) had joined the consortium. In July 2025, the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan became a member, followed in December 2025 by Shanghai ZDAN International, which became a principal participant. In September 2026, VINATOM was designated as Vietnam’s lead representative in the consortium.
The consortium operator offers two forms of participation: full and associate membership. Members help shape the research program and can access reactor time under special terms.
Part of a Broader Programme
In May 2025, Russia and Vietnam signed a roadmap for cooperation in nuclear research through 2030. It provides for the establishment of a Nuclear Science and Technology Center in Vietnam, fuel supplies for the research reactor in Dalat, and training for Vietnamese specialists. In March 2026, the two countries signed an intergovernmental agreement to build the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant, comprising two VVER-1200 reactor units with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW.
Participation in joint projects will help Vietnam train its own scientific and technical workforce and advance its nuclear research capabilities.
Exporting Scientific Expertise
The project’s commercial potential lies in providing scientific and technical services, including material and fuel testing, joint modeling, educational programs and technical support for overseas nuclear projects.
Similar facilities are also being developed abroad. In June 2024, Belgium’s SCK CEN research center began construction of the MINERVA accelerator, the first stage of the MYRRHA project. One of its research areas is the transmutation of long-lived radioactive elements.
MBIR is scheduled to begin operation in 2028. Before then, the parties will need to agree on the terms of participation, the experimental program and rights to research results, while also complying with export control requirements.
