Vietnam, Canada have opportunity to cooperate in nuclear power: former Canadian Deputy PM

In his interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s reporters in Canada, Charest asserted his country now possesses the unique CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) technology, adding that this is the safest nuclear reactor and this technology has now evolved into a new generation called CANDU MONARK.

According to him, to achieve the goal of reducing emissions, nuclear power can be one of the right choices.

He took Ontario as a typical example of the effort to reduce emissions when successfully applying nuclear energy. This province used to be the most polluted place due to the use of coal power, but by 2014, Ontario completely eliminated this energy source, helping to reduce emissions by 45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

The nuclear industry also contributes to creating many high-paying jobs for Ontario, contributing about 17 billion CAD (about 11.8 billion USD) per year to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is one of the province's key technology export sectors. Ontario currently has 18 operating nuclear reactors, accounting for 13% of Canada's total electricity production, contributing to making this province one of the cleanest and leading localities in clean technology in the North American country.

Candu Energy Senior Vice-President Carl Marcotte said the CANDU small modular reactor (SMR) is what Canada is investing in for the next generation of nuclear technology.

The Candu SMR is a very small reactor, with a lower power output, and also has a simpler structure, with the core prefabricated at the factory so it can be transported to the installation site. Canada is pioneering the development of small and even micro reactors, suitable for many requirements such as a small town or a small business. These are suitable for Vietnam, where small and micro reactors can be deployed, he added.

Wayne Farmer, President of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, said that Canada is keen to play a bigger role in nuclear power technology, both with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries interested in carbon emission reduction goals, as well as collaborating with the country on cleaner fuel supplies./.