On March 29, the Institute of Nuclear Physics was visited by the Akim of Almaty Region, Marat Sultangaziev, accompanied by senior officials from regional akimats and the Chairman of the Board of JSC “National Agency for Innovation Development ‘QazInnovations,” Sanat Zholdykhan. During the visit, the guests became acquainted with the scientific and production activities of the leading scientific organization in the country’s nuclear industry. They toured the only stationary research reactor in Kazakhstan, VVR-K, as well as the storage facility for spent ionizing radiation sources. The visitors also witnessed the ceremonial launch and power-up of the VVR-K research reactor, a moment entrusted to Akim Marat Sultangaziev.
The visit began with an introductory presentation by Director General Sayabek Sakhiyev about the Institute’s scientific and technical activities. The Director General provided insights into the history of the Institute, its 11 core electrophysical installations, and its key areas of focus, such as the development and application of nuclear and radiation technologies, the production of radioisotope products for medicine and industry, and the publication achievements of its researchers. Sayabek Sakhiyev noted that the Institute has ranked first among research institutes in Kazakhstan for the past five years in terms of publications in the Web of Science database.
In his speech, the Director General highlighted the Institute’s extensive experience in training personnel for Kazakhstan’s nuclear industry. He emphasized that the Institute’s infrastructure includes all the necessary facilities for training specialists for nuclear power plants, including a stationary research reactor, a critical assembly, and various types of accelerators. Additionally, the Institute hosts three training centers supported by the IAEA, focused on preparing professionals for the nuclear industry.
During their tour, the guests visited a storage facility designed for the long-term storage of spent gamma and neutron radiation sources. This facility, commissioned in 2022, consists of 12 silo-type cells.
The guests were also briefed on the technical specifications of the research reactor.
Currently, the VVR-K reactor is used for radiation testing of advanced materials for nuclear and thermonuclear reactors, the production of radioisotopes for medicine and industry, neutron activation analysis of the elemental composition of various materials, and non-destructive internal structure investigations of objects.
