Vietnam PM wants faster development of nuclear capacity

Ninh Thuan nuclear facility will utilise the 2025 contingency fund.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged relevant authorities to fast track the development of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project.

The Ninh Thuan nuclear project, approved in 2009 but was later suspended in 2016, has two plants with a combined capacity of more than 4,000 megawatts (MW).

In 2024, it received in-principle approvals from the Party Central Committee and National Assembly.

The Vietnam Electricity and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group were designated as the investors of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plants 1 and 2. The project will initially utilise the 2025 contingency fund whilst additional funding sources are being explored, Chinh said.

The prime minister has ordered the south central province of Ninh Thuan to expedite the site clearance and resettlement work. He has also requested coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency on related issues, feasibility study assessments, enhanced communications work, and monthly meetings of the steering committee to monitor progress and address challenges promptly.

Vietnam targets to complete the plants on 31 December 2030, with December 31, 2031 at the latest.