Land clearance obstacles hamper Vietnam's Ninh Thuan nuclear power project; Khanh Hoa province establishes task force to advance land handover

August 7, 2026, according to the Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam's Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant projects are entering an accelerated construction phase, but land clearance, compensation, and resident resettlement remain the main bottlenecks affecting progress.

In accordance with the requirements of the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Khanh Hoa province is responsible for advancing Component Projects 1 and 2 supporting the two nuclear power projects, namely land acquisition and site clearance, and resettlement work. Although the provincial government has repeatedly set clear land handover targets and timelines, in actual implementation, especially at the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power project located in Phuoc Dinh Commune, numerous complex issues continue to arise in planning, compensation, land ownership verification, and on-site handover, causing progress to fall short of expectations.

The prominent contradictions of the Ninh Thuan 1 project are concentrated on land sources, land use right certificates, and the identification of compensation recipients. During the verification process, local authorities discovered that some individuals were suspected of seeking compensation and resettlement benefits through illegal land subdivision and false reporting of housing conditions. Between 2023 and 2025, of the 21 land use right certificates issued within the project area, police have completed verification of 7 certificates involving unused land area, while the remaining 14 are still under review, making it difficult for the compensation plan to be finalized in a timely manner.

The applicable interpretation of the compensation cap is also a key dispute affecting project advancement. Phuoc Dinh Commune stated that relevant departments differ in their understanding and implementation of the compensation cap: one view holds that it should be calculated cumulatively across the entire province, while another, based on the 2024 Land Law and relevant government resolutions, decrees, and documents from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, argues that the compensation cap should be determined on a per-project basis. Different calculation methods would directly change the land area eligible for compensation, thereby affecting residents' rights and interests, approval of the compensation plan, and the overall project schedule. To date, cumulative payment progress for the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power project stands at approximately VND 7,390 billion, accounting for about 44% of the planned funding, with some funds still held in bank accounts due to documentation disputes or unresolved procedures.

In comparison, the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power project located in Vinh Hai Commune is progressing relatively smoothly, though not without obstacles. Local authorities have approved compensation and resettlement support plans for 814 cases covering more than 403 hectares of land, achieving a completion rate of 98.6% by case count and 97.5% by area, with an approved amount of approximately VND 1.767 trillion. To date, approximately VND 1.558 trillion has been paid to 660 individuals, essentially meeting the project's land use requirements. However, the project still faces issues such as partial land overlap with the forest areas of Nui Chua National Park and the biosphere reserve, which require further processing by provincial departments in accordance with regulations.

Khanh Hoa Provincial Vice Chairman Trinh Minh Hoang pointed out that local-level implementation has not yet met requirements, resulting in delays to the target of completing and handing over clean land by the end of June 2026. He required the governments of the project locations to comprehensively review workloads and ensure that data and reports are truthful and accurate, particularly urging Phuoc Dinh Commune to accelerate the completion of land source and ownership determination dossiers, both to ensure legal compliance and to avoid losses to the state budget. Khanh Hoa province has assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to lead the establishment of a special task force to assist localities in promptly resolving land issues and advancing project implementation. Meanwhile, the provincial public security department has also established a "Nuclear Security Team" within the economic security division to safeguard project area security and national security requirements.