Vietnam Electricity Advances Preparatory Work for Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant

Vietnam Electricity (EVN) is advancing preparatory work for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project, focusing on supporting measures in legal framework, financial arrangements, project management, human resource development, and public communication. The project is regarded as Vietnam's first nuclear power plant project and holds significant importance for ensuring energy security, promoting energy structure transition, and reducing carbon emissions.

During the 7th National Nuclear Regulatory Conference, EVN Deputy General Director Nguyen Thai Anh stated that the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project must meet the highest technical, engineering, and safety requirements currently applicable in Vietnam. In the preparatory phase, EVN is focusing on addressing three categories of challenges while simultaneously advancing five groups of solutions to ensure the project is implemented in accordance with international standards.

Nguyen Thai Anh stated that the primary challenge is perfecting the legal framework for nuclear power. Nuclear power remains an entirely new field for Vietnam, and the relevant laws, decrees, circulars, technical standards, and regulatory provisions still need further refinement, while also aligning with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidance documents and the standards of technology supplier countries. Due to the pioneering nature of the project, certain tasks lack prior experience, necessitating the establishment of an appropriate legal foundation and special mechanisms to ensure smooth continuity between preparation and subsequent implementation.

The second challenge concerns funding, schedule, quality, and risk control. Under the revised Power Development Plan VIII, the two units of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant are required to be commissioned between 2030 and 2035. EVN believes that this target holds significant importance for national energy security, but it also places high demands on project financing, financial model design, credit arrangements, and engineering organization.

The third challenge is building a pool of highly qualified human resources and fostering social consensus. The nuclear power project requires a professional workforce covering project management, engineering technology, finance, legal affairs, contract management, and operations and maintenance. Meanwhile, project information disclosure, local communication, and public participation are also regarded as important foundations for advancing the project, helping to enhance public understanding of the role of nuclear power and safety standards.

To address the aforementioned issues, EVN is collaborating with relevant ministries, industry authorities, and national regulatory agencies to promote the development of special mechanisms for nuclear power, refine the legal framework, and establish technical regulations and standards systems supporting nuclear power development. At the same time, EVN is strengthening the capacity of its project management organization, selecting consulting firms with international experience, and enhancing exchanges with overseas partners to learn from experience in nuclear power plant design, construction, and operation.

Regarding site and land preparation, EVN will coordinate with the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province to advance related work, ensuring that land, resettlement, and project implementation conditions meet construction requirements.

Human resource development and technology transfer are among EVN's current priority tasks. EVN stated that the effective implementation of technology transfer will help reduce investment costs, enhance local capabilities, and strengthen future initiative in nuclear power plant construction, operation, and maintenance. According to preliminary arrangements, the project management team is expected to require approximately 400 personnel, including members of the project management committee as well as staff from EVN's specialized departments covering investment and construction, engineering, technology, environment, sustainable development, safety, legal affairs, and international cooperation. The plant operations and maintenance team is expected to require approximately 1,700 to 1,800 personnel.

EVN is working with the Ministry of Education and Training, training institutions, technology suppliers, and organizations with international experience to develop a systematic training plan. Relevant human resource development will be advanced in accordance with the established roadmap, covering foundational knowledge, advanced training, practical application, technology transfer, and on-the-job training.

EVN will also strengthen project information disclosure and communication efforts, and will coordinate with relevant agencies to develop security plans for the plant site and project implementation areas. EVN stated that the successful construction of Vietnam's first nuclear power plant depends not only on the readiness of the investor but also on unified government direction and sustained coordination from relevant ministries in developing mechanisms, policies, and the regulatory system.

Vu Ngoc Minh, Deputy Director of EVN's Investment and Construction Management Committee, introduced that EVN has simultaneously carried out multiple preparatory tasks in accordance with relevant resolutions, government directives, and Prime Minister's instructions, including drafting coordination documents on investment policies, participating in negotiations on intergovernmental agreements for cooperation in the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant, coordinating the national nuclear infrastructure assessment, participating in the refinement of legal documents, technical standards, and the regulatory framework, and developing human resource development plans to support plant operations.