Six-year delay looms for Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant

Incomplete preparations are the main reason for the possible delay, according to sources.

At a ceremony held by PetroVietnam on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant could be delayed until 2020, citing advice from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“According to the IAEA, Vietnam must adopt a strict and effective solution for its nuclear power development… In order to achieve the highest possible safety level, construction on the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant may likely be delayed until 2020,” Dung said.

By that time, Dung added, Vietnam will have a full legal framework for the development, and “we will not do it without first making sure that the development will be safe and effective at the highest level.”

However, the timeline for the megaproject could be quite confusing, due to several amendments made in its development phases over the years.

According to the Committee for Science, Technology, and Environment, in 2009 the National Assembly released a resolution that included a roadmap for the development of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant.

The resolution dictated that the Ninh Thuan plant would break ground in 2014 and have its first turbine become operational in 2020.

In October 2012, the government said in a report that it would complete the files on the location of the plant by March 2013. But in a report announced in October 2013, the government delayed the deadline to December 2013 and mentioned nothing about breaking ground in 2014.

Meanwhile, after an inspection, the NA committee concluded that “only infrastructure constructions intended to serve the establishment of the plant could begin work in 2014.” The infrastructure includes power, a water supply system, and traffic roads.

The committee also said that the plant could only break ground “in late 2017 or early 2018 at the soonest,” when the design plan is expected to be approved and the construction license to be obtained.

Technology undecided

Le Tuan Phong, deputy chief of the General Department of Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said there is no official approval for the delay, and thus work on the plant is still progressing normally.

The relocation, site clearance, and compensation tasks as well as the construction of the power, water, and traffic systems are continuing at a normal pace, Phong said.

“The plant will break ground in 2017 and have its first turbine begin operation in 2020,” he added.

Nguyen Cuong Lam, director of the management board for the project, said he has yet to be informed of the construction delay. But he noted that nuclear power is not listed among the power projects to become operational in 2020 as approved by the Prime Minister.

Lam said it is the safety of the project that matters, not when it will be built.

When asked if it is possible for construction to begin this year, Lam revealed that the project “has not been assessed or approved,” and what technology it should use remains an undecided issue.

Meanwhile, Do Manh Hung, deputy chairman of the Committee for Social Affairs, said the government should seek permission from the NA if it is to delay construction because “[the project] is ruled in the NA Resolution.”