Nuclear power Vietnam’s choice to ensure sufficient energy: country top leader

Nuclear power is the path for Vietnam to ensure sufficient electricity supply by 2045, Party General Secretary To Lam said Saturday at the ongoing National Assembly session.

During parliamentary discussions on draft amendments to the Electricity Law, Lam said development of nuclear energy was in line with Vietnam’s aim to promote clean energies like solar and wind power. It was also in line with global trends, he said.

Therefore, the National Assembly should amend the law suitably to facilitate development of nuclear power in line with the Party Central Committee’s recent nod for the same.

Vietnam will find it difficult to meet power demand in 2045 if the law-making process was slow, as it would take five-10 years to develop a nuclear power plant after an in-principle nod is given, Lam said.

The amended Electricity Law should facilitate development of sufficient electricity sources and improve transparency of sources, he added.

Vietnam was striving to use clean power per its net zero commitment by 2050, Lam said. This was a global trend and Vietnam can’t stay out of the “game.”

Some foreign investors have already expressed their concerns of possible power shortages in Vietnam if current generation growth continues at the same pace, Lam cautioned.

Vietnam currently has no nuclear power project. In September, the Ministry of Industry and Trade was tasked with studying development of nuclear power as a baseload source. The ministry was asked to comprehensively review the sources of energy stipulated in the national power development plan VIII (PDP VIII) to ensure energy security and annual power supply growth of 12-15%, given economic growth projections of over 7% per year.

In draft amendments to the Electricity Law, the Vietnamese government has proposed that the State be the sole investor in nuclear power development, under its draft amended law on electricity.

Major producers including Russia and South Korea have already expressed their willingness to help Vietnam develop nuclear energy.