The MBIR reactor is designed to conduct experimental research, produce radioisotopes, manufacture modified materials, and test new types of equipment and technological systems.

The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) has been designated as the lead organization from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to participate in the International Research Center based on the MBIR reactor (IRC MBIR) project. 

The official announcement of the partnership was made during a cooperation document exchange ceremony at the Russian-Vietnamese Strategic Technology Connection Forum: Turning Research Cooperation into Projects, Products and Markets.

Joining the project is seen by the Vietnamese side as a strategically significant step toward developing national nuclear science, technology, and human resource potential. Participation in the Consortium will grant Vietnamese scientists access to a cutting-edge 150 MW research facility, enabling them to launch large-scale programs in reactor physics and radiation materials science.

"For us, this is a way to expand our capabilities by gaining direct access to a unique experimental base," emphasized Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, President of VINATOM. "This is a strategic step toward developing the competencies of our physicists and nuclear engineers in the peaceful use of atomic energy. We look forward to a long-term technological partnership."

Vasily Konstantinov, CEO of IRC MBIR, LLC, noted: "Vietnam's accession is an important milestone in expanding the project's international ecosystem. We see a high readiness of our Vietnamese colleagues for practical work and the creation of joint research programs based on the MBIR reactor."

MBIR will become the most high-flux research reactor among all operating and under-construction facilities in the world. The high parameters of the facility, being built by the Rosatom State Corporation, will make it possible to simultaneously simulate the operating conditions of various types of advanced nuclear systems, thereby significantly accelerating the implementation of the best engineering solutions.

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.