Five local areas eligible for large-scale nuclear power plant construction in Vietnam

A planned area for Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant 2 project. (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has assessed the potential for developing nuclear power plants in Vietnam, highlighting five localities suitable for large-scale nuclear power projects.

These provinces are located in the south central, central and north central regions.

In the draft revision of the National Power Development Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, which is currently open for public feedback, the ministry has identified eight potential locations across the five localities.

In Ninh Thuan province, the proposed locations are Vinh Truong Hamlet (Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district), Thai An hamlet (Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district) and Bai Cha La (Binh Tien hamlet, Cong Hai commune, Thuan Bac district).

In Quang Ngai province, the proposed locations are Gia Hoa hamlet (Duc Thang commune) and Van Ban hamlet (Duc Chanh commune).

Other locations are Lo Dieu hamlet (Hoai My commune, Hoai Nhon district, Binh Dinh province), Phu Hai hamlet (Xuan Phuong commune, Song Cau district, Phu Yen province), and Son Tinh hamlet (Ky Xuan commune, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province).

Each of these sites has the potential to develop approximately 4-6 GW of nuclear power capacity.

According to the ministry, nuclear power plants could be considered in three key regions, including south-central region with potential capacity of 25-30 GW, in the central region with around 10 GW and the north-central region with approximately 4-5 GW.

Currently, only Phuoc Dinh and Vinh Hai have publicly announced site planning for nuclear power plants. Other potential sites are being considered for the development of four large-scale nuclear reactors.

However, since no formal planning has been announced, these sites will require reassessment due to possible socio-economic changes in the areas.

Regarding the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs), the ministry emphasised that site selection is a crucial step in integrating SMRs into the regional energy system. This process significantly impacts construction costs, environmental health, safety and other operational aspects.

Additionally, numerous SMR designs are currently under development at various stages worldwide.

Vietnam currently has no legal regulations regarding site requirements for SMRs. In the absence of specific guidelines for SMR site selection, the process must comply with the existing regulations for large-scale nuclear power plants.

On November 25, 2024, the 13th Party Central Committee agreed to restart the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project and continue researching the nuclear power programme in Vietnam.

The Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 nuclear power projects had previously completed feasibility studies by design consultants, but they had not been approved. As a result, a proposal has been drafted to include these projects in the Government’s nuclear power development policy scenario.

Both large-scale nuclear power and SMRs must look at critical safety concerns, regional geological conditions and nuclear waste disposal requirements. Therefore, the plan only considers approved potential sites as outlined in Decision No 906 by the Prime Minister on nuclear power development planning.

During the second session of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Power Plant Construction, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned Vietnam Electricity (EVN) as the investor for Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant and Vietnam National Energy Corporation (PVN) as the investor for Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant.

The Prime Minister also set a target deadline to complete the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project by December 31, 2030./.