Russia to build Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant

• 14 years ago (2010-05-27)
• David Flin

Europe 1088 Nuclear 659

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Vuong Huu Tan, Director of the Vietnam Energy Institute, said that Russia has been chosen as the foreign partner in Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant project in Ninh Thuan province. Tan explained that this decision was made after a long period of consideration, but that one of the deciding factors was that Russia promised that it would help Vietnam deal with nuclear waste. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will send a report on the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant to the Government for final consideration.

Dr Phan Minh Tuan, in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Board of Preparations for Nuclear and Recycled Power, said that Vietnam and Russia are still in negotiations. He didn’t say which technology would be chosen, but he did say that Vietnam considered Russian light water moderated reactor technology to be very safe.

Vietnam’s National Assembly approved construction of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant with a vote of over 77 per cent in favour. The National Assembly agreed to build two nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan, each with two turbines. The first plant, Ninh Thuan 1, will be based in Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district, while the second one, Ninh Thuan 2, will be built in Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district. Each plant will have a capacity of 2000 MW.

Construction of the first plant will start in 2014, with the first turbine starting operation in 2020.