Regional Update - Vietnam

The December 2010 issue of Nuclear Engineering International [NEI] includes a brief update on nuclear energy infrastructure developments in Vietnam. In May and June 2008, I blogged about Vietnam's nuclear ambitions and legislative activities [an early prerequisite to the introduction of nuclear energy within any country]. These posts included some early timeline forecasts and capacity projects for the related projects. Well, what's happened in the past two and one-half years?

Quite a bit.

According to NEI, Vietnam has penned agreements with Atomstroyexport of Russia and a Japanese consortium. Atomstroyexport has been awarded a four-unit, 4,000 MWe site - Ninh Thuan 1. Reactors there are planned to commence operation in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. The Japan won Ninh Thuan 2, similarly four units totalling 4,000 MWe to commence operation in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.

Also reported by NEI is the use of the Vietnam project as a test case within a feasibility study of a new Vietnam-Japan, bi-lateral carbon credit system for nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy projects are not currently recognised for inclusion within the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism.

Vietnam continues to advance toward nuclear power

Forbes is reporting the passage of new legislation allowing the development of a nuclear power industry in Vietnam to help the country keep pace with a booming economy that is resulting in 15% annual demand increases for electricity.

The first 1000 MWe plant is to come into service in 2020 with about 10 more in operation by 2025. The report lists several countries including Japan, France, South Korea Russia and most recently China that have expressed an interest in assisting Vietnam in this endeavour.

Watch this space.

Vietnam progresses down the nuclear path

In regional news, Vietnam is looking to install several nuclear plants in the coming decades. An investment plan is being developed for submission later this year. Construction of Vietnam's first nuclear plant is planned for 2012-14 with operation to commence prior to 2020 in the central Ninh Thuan province. In parallel the government is working on legislation to create legal foundation for the construction of the plant.

The national electricity body, EVN is planning to construct 3 nuclear power plants with a total capacity of approximately 4,000 MWe. In addition to the 3 nukes, 25 other large plants are planned by EVN to add a total of 33,200 MWe.

Vietnam is already in the midst of an energy expansion program. 45 power stations are currently under construction around the country. The output of these stations, all to be operational by decade's end, is 14.6 MWe.

More information may be found here.