Vietnam’s Ninh Thuan province 'ready' to deploy nuclear power project

Vietnam's south-central province of Ninh Thuan is ready to deploy tasks in line with its responsibility to restart the country’s nuclear power project, says Ninh Thuan Chairman Tran Quoc Nam.

Nam made the statement at a Wednesday conference on reviewing the performance in 2024 and previewing goals in 2025 for the government and localities.

He urged the government, ministries, and other agencies to soon build a plan for the nuclear power project and update the legal framework and masterplan to push the progress.

Nam also stressed challenges against Ninh Thuan province, including the sluggish renewable energy sector. In 2024, the province recorded 57 incomplete renewable energy projects of 3,700 MW.

A day earlier, at an online conference of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on power supply in 2025-2030, Ninh Thuan said it is pushing site clearance, with the backing of local residents.

On Monday, at its 2024 review, state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) urged the Prime Minister to assign it as investor of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long said the ministry is drafting a proposal to assign EVN as the nuclear power developer in the country.

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 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.

Per the Prime Minister’s Directive 01/CT-TTg issued on January 3, 2025, the nuclear power project in Ninh Thuan is set to complete within five years.

Vietnam requires approximately 1,200 staff to operate a 2,000 MW nuclear power plant, or 2,400 are needed for two 2,000 MW nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan.