Construction of Vietnam's first nuclear power plant may not beginthis year, as earlier scheduled, Minister of Science and TechnologyNguyen Quan recently told the media.
The delay, which couldlast two to three years, is tied to developing additional safetymeasures for the plant, to be built in central Ninh Thuan province, hesaid.
According to the minister, by the end of thisyear Vietnam would evaluate a feasibility study, select technology and alocation for the plant, as well as invite bidding next year for thedesign and construction.
Officials anticipate that the first nuclear power reactor in Vietnam would become operational in 2025.
Earlier this month, during his visit to Vietnam, Director GeneralYukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency urged the countryto avoid rushing to build a nuclear power plant. Rather, he askedofficials to be prepared to develop the first nuclear power project,since Vietnam was just an emerging nuclear power country.
Speaking at the 5th annual Nuclear Power Asia 2014 conference in Hanoion January 20, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tiensaid that, like other emerging nuclear power countries, Vietnam alsofaced key challenges in developing its nuclear power programme.
These included post-Fukushima concerns, safety measures, publicacceptance, creating a regulatory framework, project licensing andfinancing, human resource development, technology advancement andapplication.
"Vietnam has been actively preparingfacilities and completing a regulatory framework for its first nuclearpower plants," Tien said.
Since 2009, the NationalAssembly passed a resolution on the investment in Ninh Thuan NuclearPower Projects with the first nuclear power plant set to be completed in2020.
The country plans to building eight nuclearplants and 13 reactors with a capacity of 16,000 megawatts, which wouldsupply 6 percent of Vietnam's electricity needs from nuclear power by2030.
Tien said that, currently, Russian and Japaneseconsultants have prepared feasibility studies, as the country set asideeight sites to build nuclear power plants.
Consideringthat developing human resources was an important factor, in 2010Vietnam launched a national programme to train staff for working in thenuclear power industry, and sent students aboard to study and selecteight domestic institutions to train the workforce.
Italso launched a national programme on public information andcommunication for nuclear power last year, he said, emphasising thatpublic acceptance was a major challenge for developing nuclear power,when he shared his opinion at the conference with representatives fromthe neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Jong Kyun Park, Director of the Nuclear Power Division at theInternational Atomic Energy Agency, said that newcomers to the nuclearpower field faced challenges, mostly in human resources, legislativeframeworks, financing, stakeholder involvement and safety management.
"The IAEA has developed the Milestone Approach to help guide member states," he added.
The principal researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, KazuakiYanagisawa, said that unique challenges included solving the problem ofhow to efficiently build nuclear power plants, as well as dealing withlimited budgets and human resources.
He noted that safetymatters were quite serious, which was an important task for Vietnamesepolicymakers, policy executors and engineers.
Thethree-day conference is hosted by Vietnam's Nuclear Power Operator -Electricity of Vietnam, with support from the Vietnam Atomic EnergyAgency, the World Nuclear Association, Vietnam Union of Science andTechnology Associations, and Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission.-VNA
The delay, which couldlast two to three years, is tied to developing additional safetymeasures for the plant, to be built in central Ninh Thuan province, hesaid.
According to the minister, by the end of thisyear Vietnam would evaluate a feasibility study, select technology and alocation for the plant, as well as invite bidding next year for thedesign and construction.
Officials anticipate that the first nuclear power reactor in Vietnam would become operational in 2025.
Earlier this month, during his visit to Vietnam, Director GeneralYukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency urged the countryto avoid rushing to build a nuclear power plant. Rather, he askedofficials to be prepared to develop the first nuclear power project,since Vietnam was just an emerging nuclear power country.
Speaking at the 5th annual Nuclear Power Asia 2014 conference in Hanoion January 20, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tiensaid that, like other emerging nuclear power countries, Vietnam alsofaced key challenges in developing its nuclear power programme.
These included post-Fukushima concerns, safety measures, publicacceptance, creating a regulatory framework, project licensing andfinancing, human resource development, technology advancement andapplication.
"Vietnam has been actively preparingfacilities and completing a regulatory framework for its first nuclearpower plants," Tien said.
Since 2009, the NationalAssembly passed a resolution on the investment in Ninh Thuan NuclearPower Projects with the first nuclear power plant set to be completed in2020.
The country plans to building eight nuclearplants and 13 reactors with a capacity of 16,000 megawatts, which wouldsupply 6 percent of Vietnam's electricity needs from nuclear power by2030.
Tien said that, currently, Russian and Japaneseconsultants have prepared feasibility studies, as the country set asideeight sites to build nuclear power plants.
Consideringthat developing human resources was an important factor, in 2010Vietnam launched a national programme to train staff for working in thenuclear power industry, and sent students aboard to study and selecteight domestic institutions to train the workforce.
Italso launched a national programme on public information andcommunication for nuclear power last year, he said, emphasising thatpublic acceptance was a major challenge for developing nuclear power,when he shared his opinion at the conference with representatives fromthe neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Jong Kyun Park, Director of the Nuclear Power Division at theInternational Atomic Energy Agency, said that newcomers to the nuclearpower field faced challenges, mostly in human resources, legislativeframeworks, financing, stakeholder involvement and safety management.
"The IAEA has developed the Milestone Approach to help guide member states," he added.
The principal researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, KazuakiYanagisawa, said that unique challenges included solving the problem ofhow to efficiently build nuclear power plants, as well as dealing withlimited budgets and human resources.
He noted that safetymatters were quite serious, which was an important task for Vietnamesepolicymakers, policy executors and engineers.
Thethree-day conference is hosted by Vietnam's Nuclear Power Operator -Electricity of Vietnam, with support from the Vietnam Atomic EnergyAgency, the World Nuclear Association, Vietnam Union of Science andTechnology Associations, and Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission.-VNA
