Vietnam gov’t proposes nuclear power project revival as energy demand surges

The Vietnamese government has proposed resuming the nuclear power project and accelerating offshore wind power development as energy demand is forecast to grow by two-digit rates to accommodate economic growth.

The government has made the proposal to competent authorities for consideration, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a National Assembly (NA) session on Tuesday.

Chinh added that his cabinet has proposed that the NA, the country's supreme legislative body, amend the Law on Electricity with institutional breakthroughs aimed to facilitate the development of power sources and grids.

The government chief elaborated that power demand is forecast to increase 12-13% in 2015 and even more afterward.

To ensure energy security, the government has implemented the National Power Development VIII (PDP VIII) and the Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) mechanism; promoted rooftop solar; developed gas-fired power and nearshore and offshore wind; and issued policies regarding waste-to-power and biomass power production, Chinh added.

Notably, on August 29, the government inaugurated the Quang Binh-Hung Yen 500 kV transmission line to bring electricity from the central region to the north, which is home to major industrial complexes, after just six months of construction.

A large number of experts and lawmakers in Vietnam have shown support for the resumption of the nuclear power development plan.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Energy Association, called for nuclear power to be developed as soon as possible, given its advantages to fossil fuels.

Pham Van Hoa, a deputy of the Dong Thap delegation to the NA, noted that nuclear power is a world trend. “Only nuclear power can help Vietnam ensure energy security in the new context.”

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said last week that nuclear power is indispensable in Vietnam, given the limitations of renewables.

The country’s current power capacity is about 80,000 MW and must nearly double to 150,524 MW to fulfill national demand in 2030. “As the demand can quintuple by 2050, new energies and nuclear power will be inevitably needed,” Dien said during an NA session on November 7.

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

In November 2016, the NA decided to halt the project, citing safety, funding, and technology reasons.