Microreactor on way from China to Thailand
China has shipped the systems and equipment for the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor that will be built at the Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand.
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A ceremony was held on 12 November at the CNNC Institute of Atomic Energy to mark the shipping of the reactor. It was attended by Ampicka Apichabukko, Deputy Secretary-General of the Thailand Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy Office, Nunn Themonrong, Vice President of Suranaree University of Technology, and relevant personnel from China Atomic Energy and the Institute of Atomic Energy.
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the ceremony marked "the official entry of the Thai microreactor project into the construction phase".
The Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) is a small research reactor designed independently by the Institute of Atomic Energy. CNNC said it has a rated power of only 30kW and is "radiation safe and environmentally friendly, has low operating power, simple structure, low construction and operation and maintenance costs, and high inherent safety. It is suitable for construction in densely populated areas such as universities, hospitals, and research institutes for scientific research in the nuclear field".
The prototype MNSR (Image: CNNC)
The planned Suranaree University of Technology reactor will be used for neutron capture therapy, a cancer treatment technique, among other applications.
Since the Institute of Atomic Energy built the prototype microreactor in 1984, it has designed and built 10 micro-reactors - five in China and five have been exported. The Thai microreactor is the sixth MNSR to be exported. The microreactor design and equipment processing have been completed. The project is led by China Atomic Energy and implemented by the Institute of Atomic Energy.
The Institute of Atomic Energy said the Thai microreactor project - launched in 2015 - is "a model of cooperation between China and Thailand in the field of nuclear energy, which will promote the development of research reactor technology applications and promote the deep integration of the two sides in terms of technological innovation, industrial development, and talent training".
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