The 2019 Lancang - Mekong National Nuclear Energy Youth Training Program was launched at China Zhongyuan Engineering Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNNC, in Beijing, on Aug 12.

It is the first nuclear energy cooperation project to be initiated by the Lancang - Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund Project.

Thirty attendees from various energy administrations and related institutions of LMC countries joined the program. They received instruction from experts at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute, and CNNC. 

The training covered a number of fields, including basic theories of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear energy to the general public, development of nuclear power in developing countries, application of nuclear technology, and nuclear medicine.

With support from the State Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Energy Administration, CNNC aims to build a world-class nuclear energy training program for young people. It also seeks to share experiences and research results with other LMC countries and work in partnership with them to further develop the nuclear energy industry. 

The Lancang-Mekong area is one of the regions with the greatest development potential in Asia. And the LMC mechanism brings together six countries linked by their geography –– China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. 

The countries share development interests and it is hoped that this training will promote cooperation among the countries in the field of nuclear energy, according to Chinese officials. 

With rapid economic development creating increasingly serious electricity shortages in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, many governments have started to look to diversify their electricity supply.  

Countries such as Thailand and Vietnam have placed much emphasis on the development of nuclear energy and formulated corresponding development plans to ensure future energy security and economic development.