Despite delays, Russia said Vietnam's first nuclear plant will be built

The Russian Federation’s TASS News Agency said recently that Russia is still planning to help build Vietnam's first nuclear power plant in the Ninh Thuan province, despite construction delays.

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov attributed the delays to internal issues in Vietnam tied to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Shuvalov said Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai indicated that the project’s implementation would be rescheduled to a later time frame as the government continues to evaluate safety regulations before construction can begin.

"The Vietnamese government confirms that it’s still interested in cooperation with the Russian Federation regarding the issue and the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power project will happen,” Shuvalov said.

Russia's state nuclear power company Rosatom not only will be involved in constructing the plant, but also in the public relations arena. Russian experts will testify before Vietnam's National Assembly (Parliament) "regarding how secure modern nuclear technologies are in general and how much Russian technologies are better than those of other countries, which also intend to participate in construction of nuclear sites in Vietnam, for example, Japan."

The World Nuclear Association said most Vietnamese power generation comes from hydroelectric, gas and coal facilities. The group also said the country has considered nuclear generation since 1995, with an official proposal forming in 2006. To implement this, Russia and Japan have committed to providing financing and building support for approximately 4,400 megawatts of capacity between both countries.