Vietnam must develop nuclear energy as baseload to double power capacity by 2030: Deputy PM

As Vietnam has to increase its power capacity by 70,000 MW before 2030 with renewable energy playing a major role, developing nuclear energy as baseload for the system is inevitable, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh.

Binh made the statement at a Sunday working session with the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Doubling the energy capacity to ensure sufficient energy supply is crucial to Vietnam’s target of economic growth over 10% annually in the next era, Binh emphasized.

Therefore, Binh called on the institute to research and develop nuclear technology, approaching global standards to help the country’s growth.

Vietnam is now capable of developing and will prioritize nuclear science, he added.

The country had increased its power sources by 1,500 MW to 82,400 MW as of end-2024, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said at its 2024 performance review. The figure was the highest in Southeast Asia, the state utility added.

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

In November 2016, the parliament 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.

Many countries have expressed their willingness to coooperate with Vietnam in nuclear power, such as South Korea, Russia, Japan, and France.