Neccessity outlined for nuclear power acceleration

According to a government report presented by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien to the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) last week, several mechanisms have been proposed to achieve the goal of being operational in the next five years.

The NASC found that the government’s proposal to put the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project into operation by 2030 to ensure the security of electricity supply for socioeconomic development would be complex.

The report explained that it usually takes about eight years to complete a nuclear power venture. A very large-scale scheme, implemented for the first time in Vietnam, will also require large resources. Therefore, careful study has been recommended to ensure the target of completing the scheme as proposed by the government.

“To put nuclear power back into operation by 2030, the government recognises the need for specific policies for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project,” said Dien.

He said that investors must be assigned and contractor selection implemented immediately after the NA approves investment policy adjustments for the initiative.

The government also proposed to allow applications from designated bidders according to a shortened process.

“It is necessary to select a turnkey contract to speed up the progress, due to the nature of nuclear power plants requiring nuclear fuel for the first cycle, and operation and maintenance experts in the first phase,” Dien said.

“The Law on Bidding does not have regulations on selecting contractors to implement the bidding package combining construction investment costs and production and business costs.”

Selecting contractors according to the procedures prescribed by the Law on Bidding will prolong the time and will not meet the project implementation progress, Minister Dien added.

Along with accelerated bidding, the report called for allowing direct negotiations to purchase nuclear fuel for the plant.

It also proposed to appoint contractors to evaluate technology, report on environment, safety, and security, and inspect nuclear regulations in the investment and construction stages of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power venture.

Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and PetroVietnam have been designated as the investors for Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 nuclear power stations, respectively, by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

To get ready for collaboration with international partners including Russia, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and France, the prime minister asked EVN and PetroVietnam to collaborate with the ministry and other authorities. While traditional partners may be given priority in the collaboration, all potential scenarios must be considered.

Former Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said that there were still many challenges to be able to accelerate the completion of nuclear power projects before 2030, including the need to immediately strengthen the legal basis for nuclear power development.

“Firstly, we should add nuclear power plants to Power Development Plan VIII. At the same time, we must immediately work with partners, including those who have previously cooperated with us, to build the Ninh Thuan nuclear power,” Quan said.

“Along with that, we can find new potential partners in the nuclear field, with the advice of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Along with that, we must urgently train personnel, especially technology experts and safety experts to master nuclear power technology,” Quan said.

Nuclear power was approved by the legislature in 2009 but was then suspended in 2016. Nuclear power development is not currently mentioned in Vietnam’s national power plan.

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