New MoU sets stage for Vietnam’s first nuclear power project

Rosatom Energy International JSC (REIN JSC) and Power Engineering Consulting JSC 2 (PECC2) signed an MoU at the World Atomic Week forum in Moscow on September 26, setting the stage for collaboration on the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The agreement covers updating the plant’s feasibility study and site profile, and outlines cooperation in grid infrastructure development, logistics, specialist training, and related areas.

The new deal builds on earlier initiatives to revive Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant project, which gained fresh momentum in January following Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to Vietnam and the signing of an MoU between REIN JSC and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to expand cooperation in nuclear energy.

In May, Rosatom director general Alexey Likhachev and Vietnam’s Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung signed an interdepartmental roadmap outlining the development of nuclear technologies through 2030.

PECC2, a subsidiary of EVN, provides expert consulting for power generation projects in Vietnam and played a key role in preparing the initial feasibility study for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant between 2011 and 2015. Meanwhile, REIN JSC, a subsidiary of Rosatom State Corporation, specialises in managing international nuclear projects, overseeing construction and operations of Russian-designed plants through equity ownership.

Rosatom has a long-standing track record of supporting Vietnam in integrating nuclear energy into its national energy mix. The company is ready to provide its VVER-1200 Generation 3+ reactor technology – a proven design with advanced active and passive safety systems that meet international standards. Six VVER-1200 units are already in operation in Russia and Belarus, with numerous others under construction worldwide.

The government is discussing a series of mechanisms for nuclear power to become operational at the end of this decade - much sooner than typical undertakings of this type are carried out.

With 50 years of experience in operating nuclear power plants, Hungary is set to assist Vietnam in training 1,000 nuclear power plant operators as the country develops its first nuclear facility.

Russian nuclear major Rosatom State Corporation announced on May 13 that Rosatom and Vietnam have signed an inter-agency roadmap for the development of nuclear technologies through 2030.