This is one of the contents that the 13th Party Central Committee considered and commented on at the Conference on November 25.
Specifically, the Press Release of the Conference stated: “Regarding the Nuclear Power Program in Vietnam: The Party Central Committee basically agreed on the policy of restarting the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project and continuing to study the Nuclear Power Program in Vietnam to firmly ensure national energy security, meet the goals of socio-economic development, enhance the scientific and technological potential and sustainable development of the country. The Politburo was assigned to direct relevant agencies and localities to study and develop a Project on nuclear power development in Vietnam in the coming time; in the immediate future, continue to study the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant Project, report to competent authorities for consideration and decision”.
The nuclear power project in Ninh Thuan province was planned to be built, but in November 2026 it was temporarily suspended according to the decision in the Resolution of the National Assembly. This project is proposed to be developed with a standard reactor model, using Russian and Japanese water-cooled technology, belonging to generation III+. These are designs that ensure many safety criteria after the Fukushima accident.
Areas planned to build Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant Project
According to Power Plan VIII, Vietnam will not build coal-fired thermal power plants after 2030, gas-fired power plants after 2035. Accordingly, renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar power will continue to be prioritized for development to ensure carbon emission reduction and the commitment target at COP26 on carbon neutrality by 2050.
Of course, implementing a nuclear power program is difficult, demanding, and strict, but a successful nuclear power program will bring the country's scientific, technological, and industrial capacity to a new level, promote economic development, and be a national potential. The process of developing nuclear power in many countries around the world has proven that.
Nuclear and Radiation Incident Response Drill 2023 at Dalat Nuclear Reactor
Nuclear power requires long-term preparation over many years. At the same time, it must meet many important requirements such as: training human resources, improving capacity in technology, nuclear power safety, building a complete nuclear regulatory system, preparing infrastructure for project implementation, building capacity in science and technology, project management, industry...
According to statistics from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world has 440 nuclear reactors, of which 94% are operating in 30 countries. 70% of the global reactors use pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA).
Also noted by the IAEA, as of September 19, 2024, there are 34 countries and territories using and building nuclear power plants with a total of 415 nuclear power reactors in operation, with a total installed capacity of 373,735MW.
Source: Clean energy magazine
