Laying the foundation for a nuclear power program.

The restart of the nuclear power program is linked to the challenge of state management capacity; in which, gradually improving the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety is considered a key step, laying the foundation for the entire nuclear power development program in the coming period.

Officials from the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety receive training on the application of technology in state management.

Currently, the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety ( Ministry of Science and Technology ) performs the function of state management regarding nuclear safety, security, and inspection. However, the organizational structure of the Department has not been designed in a highly specialized and in-depth manner, and therefore is not suitable for the requirements of managing nuclear power plants.

Specialized units for nuclear safety, nuclear security, nuclear inspection, in-depth technical assessment, and incident response have not been fully and comprehensively organized according to international practices.

The functions and responsibilities among the units are still fragmented, and strong specialized units capable of conducting independent and comprehensive assessments of the complex technical issues of nuclear power plants have not yet been formed.

Furthermore, the organizational model for technical support has not developed proportionally, leading to limitations in analytical and evaluative capacity and the ability to support state management decision-making.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), managing the first nuclear power plant alone requires a minimum of 100-150 highly specialized personnel, but the current number of personnel at the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety is far lower than the minimum requirement according to this recommendation and international practice.

Furthermore, there is currently a lack of core expert groups in key areas serving the assessment, licensing, and safety oversight of nuclear power plants, such as reactor physics, nuclear thermohydraulics, probabilistic safety analysis, electrical and control systems, materials, geology, and construction.

The technical equipment used for assessment and monitoring is largely outdated and does not meet the requirements for analysis and simulation of modern nuclear power plants. The financial mechanism is not flexible enough to ensure independence – an element that the IAEA considers a core principle of the nuclear safety regulatory body.

The current financial mechanism also fails to meet the requirements for long-term investment in the development of high-quality human resources, and does not create conditions to attract and retain talented experts; it is still limited in the timely allocation of resources for unforeseen tasks such as safety assessment, on-site inspection, incident response, or hiring international experts and technical support organizations.

In response to the urgent need for nuclear power development, the Prime Minister issued Decision 624/QD-TTg approving the plan to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety until 2035, with the aim of gradually building this agency into a national regulatory body with sufficient authority, resources, and technical capacity to fully perform the functions of state management in the field of radiation safety, nuclear safety, and nuclear security.

A notable point is the upgrading and improvement of management functions directly related to the nuclear power program, emphasizing the capacity for assessment, evaluation, inspection, and monitoring of nuclear safety and security, along with the construction and operation of a 24/7 radiation and nuclear incident response system.

The organizational structure of the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety will be streamlined towards specialization, ensuring it meets the management requirements for nuclear power plant projects, other nuclear facilities, and conforms to international practices. Regarding resources, the goal is to increase the workforce to at least 288 people by 2030. Sufficient personnel in the necessary specialties will be ensured to serve the state management of radiation safety, nuclear safety, and nuclear security for the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant project and the research nuclear reactor project.

In implementing the project, the Ministry of Science and Technology stated that it will simultaneously deploy several groups of tasks to enhance the state management capacity in radiation safety, nuclear safety, and nuclear security, meeting the requirements for future nuclear power projects and research reactors. A key task is to develop a plan for training, fostering, and developing human resources for state management, research and development, application, and technical support in the field of atomic energy, which is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in 2026.

HA LINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dat-nen-mong-cho-chuong-trinh-dien-hat-nhan-post963919.html