HANOI, Sept 13 (Askume) – Vietnam is considering a plan to restart the development of nuclear power to ensure national energy security and support economic growth, a government document reviewed by Askume showed.
The Southeast Asian country, a regional industrial hub that relies heavily on coal for power generation, is also looking to boost clean energy production to meet its 2050 net-zero target.
“The Ministry of Industry and Trade will study the experience of nuclear energy development in other countries and make recommendations for the development of nuclear energy in Vietnam,” the document says.
The ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The document says Vietnam aims to increase electricity generation by 12%-15% per year “to ensure national energy security… and support economic growth of 7% per year”.
The document said proposals for nuclear power development would be submitted to the Politburo, China’s most powerful decision-making body, for review, without providing a timetable.
In 2009, Vietnam approved a plan to build its first two nuclear power plants, but the plan was shelved in 2016 due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and budget constraints.
The proposed nuclear power plant, with a total capacity of 4 gigawatts (GW), is planned to be built in the central province of Ninh Thuan by Rosatom and Japan Atomic Power Company.
The country has sought to develop clean energy in recent years, butIts offshore wind and liquefied natural gas development goals have been jeopardized by regulatory and pricing hurdles .
Vietnam has been considering reviving nuclear power options for years and has discussed possible support for small reactors from Russia, South Korea, Canada and other countries, officials say .
Nuclear power was not mentioned in China’s long-awaited power development master plan approved last May. The plan, known as PDP8, will raise the country’s total power generation installation capacity to more than 150 gigawatts by 2030, up from more than 80 gigawatts at the end of last year.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is seeking opinions on updating the PDP8, according to state media reports earlier this month.
Relevant ministries and agencies have also been asked to remove obstacles to the development of offshore wind and gas-fired power, the government office document said, without elaborating.
