~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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[Year 2002]

Russia aims to build Vietnam nuclear power plant

HANOI - Russia has offered to build Vietnam's first atomic power plant, a senior Russian executive said on Thursday, in a long-term project which could take about a decade to materialise. The executive from Atomstroyexport, an affiliate of Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy, told Reuters Russian nuclear experts gave presentations to Vietnamese officials, including some from state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), on Thursday. The executive, who did not want to be identified, said the Vietnamese audience included officials from the Planning and Investment Ministry and EVN's Energy Institute, which is in charge of planning Vietnam's first nuclear plant.

"We are interested in building such a plant in Vietnam and Russia is ready to do it," the executive said at a business meeting on the sidelines of an international trade fair in Hanoi. Earlier this month, Vietnam's official media said energy authorities planned to complete a pre-feasibility study for a 2,000-megawatt atomic power plant, that would cost about $4 billion, by late next year. Local media did not say how Hanoi would fund the project. Vietnam and Russia signed an agreement on cooperation in nuclear power last month during a visit by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, but industry sources have said Japan and South Korea are also interested in building the plant. The Russian executive said Russia was not concerned about competition given its experience in the field. He said it was currently building plants in Iran, China and India.

Last month official media said Vietnam aimed to start operating its first atomic power plant in 2017 or 2019 to meet rising energy demand, even though the country has plenty of natural gas and coal, and suitable conditions for hydropower. Four possible locations, all in southern Vietnam, have been selected. Two are in Ninh Thuan province, one in Binh Thuan and another in Phu Yen. Vietnam's official media last week quoted Nguyen Manh Hien, head of EVN's energy institute, as saying it would take at least eight years to build an atomic plant and around 15 years to train personnel to run it.

Reuters - April 11, 2002.