Lightbridge to provide training for Vietnam’s civil nuclear authorities

By    May 24, 2016 | 01:17 am PT
Lightbridge, American listed nuclear energy company, signed a nuclear safety training agreement with and the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) on Monday, according to the company’s statement.

This agreement is part of the growing U.S.-Vietnam strategic relationship, coinciding with President Obama's three-day visit to Vietnam.

Both countries see cooperation on civil nuclear power to be an important part of improving relations.

Vietnam and U.S., three yeas ago, signed a legally binding government-to-government peaceful uses of nuclear energy agreement which has allowed the transfer of nuclear energy-related materials and components between the two countries.

“This training program is crucial for continuing cooperation in civil nuclear safety and security. This program is just the beginning of what both parties intend to be many years of cooperation,” said Seth Grae, president and chief executive of Lightbridge Corporation.

Under the agreement, Lightbridge will firstly provide training in the United States for eight VARANS officials so that they can understand the inspection fundamentals of early procurement of nuclear components.

The two-week training program will focus on inspection of design and fabrication of nuclear fuel for commercial pressurized water reactors.

It will also provide supplementary information to aid understanding and planning for early regulatory functions such as inspection of nuclear power plant construction, licensing, and capacity development.

Based on the results of this two-week training program, VARANS and Lightbridge will work together to make further improvements to a long-term and comprehensive training program from 2017 to 2020.

Vietnam is the second-largest market for nuclear power in the East Asia region which is expected to grow in to a $50 billion market by 2030.

Vietnam might have a total of eight nuclear power reactors in operation by 2027.

Vietnam has also signed nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, France, China, South Korea, Japan and Canada.

 
 
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