Japan willing to help Vietnam with technology, training for nuclear power

Japan welcomed Vietnam to restart its nuclear power program and the former is willing to help the latter with its experiences, high technology, and workforce training.

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Muto Yoji made the statement at the seventh Vietnam-Japan Joint Committee meeting on industry, trade, energy in Tokyo last week, with the participation of Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.

In a Sunday statement, the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade said the “reignited” Ninh Thuan nuclear power project aims to help Vietnam ensure its energy security and fulfill its net-zero 2050 commitment.

On December 20, Minister Dien had a meeting with Japanese universities and businesses in the nuclear power sector. The Japanese side, including International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan Co., Ltd (JINED), Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagaoka University of Technology, University of Fukui, emphasized their willingness to help Vietnam.

The two sides also discussed further cooperation in trade, Japan’s investments in training industrial workforce in Vietnam (for instance, for the semiconductor sector), experience and technology transfer for high-speed railway, negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), digital economy-trade, and climate change adaptation.

In 2005, Vietnam's Party Central Committee had greenlighted a plan to build two nuclear power plants in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan. Four years later, the parliament approved the plan with an initial investment of VND200 trillion ($7.9 billion at the current forex rate).

In November 2016, the National Assembly, the country’s highest legislative body, decided to halt the 4,000 MW project, citing safety, funding and technology reasons. In November 2024, it agreed to resume the nuclear power project in Ninh Thuan after an eight-year suspension.

Originally, the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project featured two plants. Ninh Thuan 1 was scheduled to be a cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, while Ninh Thuan 2 a collaboration between Vietnam and Japan.