Vietnam PM requests swift completion of talks with Russia on Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear plant

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered relevant agencies to quickly complete negotiations with Russia on cooperation to invest in and build the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant, while proposing options to select a partner with advanced core technology for the Ninh Thuan 2 project.

Chairing the fourth meeting of the steering committee for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power projects on Wednesday, Chinh said negotiations with Russia must be concluded soon, while Vietnam should actively study and propose suitable partners under the new context for the second plant.

At the meeting, the steering committee reviewed preparations for investing in and building the projects, located in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

The Ninh Thuan 1 plant will be located in Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district, while Ninh Thuan 2 will be built in Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, both in the former Ninh Thuan province.

Ninh Thuan in July was merged into Khanh Hoa province to form the new Khanh Hoa, home to the famous bays of Nha Trang and Cam Ranh.

The Politburo has issued Resolution No. 70 on ensuring national energy security through 2030, with a vision to 2045, stressing that energy development must stay ahead of demand to support economic growth, national defence, and living standards.

The resolution asks for accelerating the Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 projects with appropriate partners, ensuring Vietnam’s highest interests and taking into account previous agreements, with operations targeted for 2030-2035.

So far, the Prime Minister has chaired three steering committee meetings and assigned state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and state-owned energy group Petrovietnam to invest in and build Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2, respectively, with the aim of completing construction in time to ensure power supply after 2031.

At the third meeting, he assigned 15 tasks to ministries and agencies. Twelve of them, or 80%, have been completed, including the issuance of Resolution No. 66.8/2025/NQ-CP on separating compensation, support and resettlement components of the nuclear projects into standalone projects; proposals to the National Assembly Standing Committee on special investment mechanisms; and detailed regulations guiding the Law on Atomic Energy. Three tasks remain under implementation.

In his concluding remarks, Chinh praised ministries and agencies, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for actively carrying out assigned tasks, advancing negotiations with Russia, discussing financing arrangements, and rolling out site clearance work.

However, he noted that progress remained slower than expected, citing delays in cooperation agreement negotiations with foreign partners and challenges in funding land clearance and resettlement.

Looking ahead, the cabinet leader instructed ministries, local authorities, and steering committee members to handle tasks within their mandates and report unresolved issues to him or Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son.

He ordered the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, to finalize negotiation plans and resolve outstanding issues with Russia on Ninh Thuan 1 by January 2026. Petrovietnam, along with relevant ministries, was tasked with proposing options to select an advanced-technology partner for Ninh Thuan 2.

Other directives covered financing negotiations, regulatory frameworks, land clearance and resettlement, workforce training and anti-corruption oversight, with the goal of completing site clearance and handing over land to investors in Q1/2026.