OREANDA-NEWS. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) that is aimed at enhancing the agency’s understanding of boiling water reactor technology. Under the MOU, GEH will promote the training and development of qualified human resources in the field of nuclear safety analysis.

GEH Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer David Durham joined Vuong Huu Tan, Director General of VARANS for the signing ceremony today at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Hanoi.

“This agreement will enhance the capability of VARANS staff to perform technical assessments and safety evaluations.” Durham said. “Through this agreement and others we look forward to continuing to support the building of Vietnam’s nuclear power infrastructure.”

This is the third agreement GEH has signed in Vietnam in recent months. Last fall, MOUs were signed with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and Electric Power University to cooperate in the field of nuclear engineering and technology. Under the MOUs, students from the two universities will intern this summer at GE Hitachi’s world headquarters in Wilmington, NC.

Vietnam is planning to build more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear generating capacity by 2030. As the provider of the world’s safest reactor technology designs, GEH believes it is ideally positioned to help Vietnam meet its rapidly growing energy demands.

In September, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified the design of the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR). With its advanced, true passive safety systems, the ESBWR is the world’s safest approved nuclear reactor design, based on core damage frequency. The reactor can cool itself for more than seven days with no on-site or off-site AC power or operator action, uses approximately 25 percent less pumps and mechanical drives than reactors with active safety systems and offers the lowest projected operating, maintenance and staffing costs in the nuclear industry on a per-kilowatt basis.

About GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy

Based in Wilmington, N.C., GEH is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. Established in June 2007, GEH is a part of a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of solutions, expanding its capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities. The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety.