Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has expressed his desire to finalize negotiations with Russia for the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant by the end of this month. He has also instructed officials to seek a new partner nation to replace Japan, which withdrew from the second nuclear power project.
According to Reuters, the Vietnamese government news portal reported that Prime Minister Chinh directed government officials on Thursday to conclude negotiations with Russia within January and find a new partner to replace Japan in the construction of the second nuclear power plant.
Chinh highlighted that progress has not met expectations, and there are numerous obstacles requiring immediate attention, including delays in negotiating cooperation agreements.
The Prime Minister also stated that the goal is to have both nuclear power plants operational after 2031.
Vietnam has experienced a surge in electricity demand due to the concentration of global manufacturers like Samsung and Apple in the region. Moreover, factors such as industrial sector expansion, growing middle-class consumption, and extreme weather events like droughts and typhoons have led to a series of large-scale power outages recently.
In response, the Vietnamese government has decided to reintroduce nuclear power as a long-term solution for energy stability, resuming the construction projects for Ninh Thuan 1 and 2, which were halted in 2016. Russia is participating in the construction of Unit 1, while Japan was previously involved with Unit 2.
However, Naoki Ito, Japan’s ambassador to Vietnam, stated last month that considering the completion timeline, Japan is not in a position to undertake the Ninh Thuan 2 project, effectively announcing Japan’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Russia had planned to conclude negotiations by September of last year, but those discussions have been delayed.
Reuters reported last month that France, South Korea, and the U.S. have shown interest in participating in future projects, citing local officials.