Vietnam and Canada Deepen Cooperation in Nuclear Energy Development; Canada Promotes CANDU Heavy Water Reactor Technology

Le Xuan Dinh, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Vietnam, met with Jim Nickel, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, on October 16 in Hanoi, and held bilateral working talks with a delegation from AtkinsRéalis Engineering Group led by Todd Smith, Vice President of Nuclear Power Business Development of Canada. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on key topics including the peaceful uses of atomic energy, research and development of clean and low-carbon technologies, and joint training of nuclear-related professionals, aiming to advance practical cooperation between the two countries in the civilian nuclear energy field.

During the talks, Le Xuan Dinh highly commended Canada's engineering and technical expertise and practical management experience in the civilian nuclear power sector. He noted that with Vietnam's rapid economic growth and the advancement of the national energy structure transition strategy, Vietnam must prioritize nuclear safety barriers, regulatory system transparency, and compatibility with domestic industrial infrastructure in the process of restarting and planning nuclear power construction, ensuring that the nuclear power development strategy is precisely aligned with the country's long-term planning.

In response to Canada's proposals for bilateral technical cooperation and experience empowerment, Le Xuan Dinh expressed active welcome and urged relevant nuclear-related professional departments and bureaus under the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam to maintain close coordination with their Canadian counterparts, accelerating multiple rounds of technical exchanges to identify specific entry points for cooperation. According to the bilateral consultation plan, the two countries are expected to detail and implement multiple cooperation consensuses before the end of 2026, including organizing professional academic exchanges and arranging Vietnamese technical delegations to visit overseas operating nuclear power plants for on-site investigation and research, providing first-hand practical references for Vietnam's next-stage nuclear power technology route assessment and top-level design.

In his remarks, Jim Nickel, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, emphasized that scientific and technological research and development, engineering innovation, and industrial collaboration encompassing energy security and clean energy transition have become important pillars for deepening the Canada-Vietnam bilateral partnership. Given the high degree of complementarity and shared interests between the two countries in decarbonization and sustainable economic development, Canada is willing to continuously expand the breadth and depth of cooperation with Vietnam in green high-technology dimensions.

During the dedicated technical presentation session, representatives of AtkinsRéalis provided the Vietnamese side with a comprehensive introduction to Canada's signature Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) heavy water reactor technology system. The technical team highlighted the reactor type's characteristic of being able to directly use natural uranium as nuclear fuel, thereby eliminating dependence on the enriched uranium supply chain, and provided in-depth analysis of original engineering advantages such as the horizontal pressure tube core structure and on-power refuelling, offering technical references for Vietnam's advancement of new reactor comparison and selection and supply chain planning.