Vietnam to Build New Nuclear Plant

The Vietnam Institute of Energy has submitted to the government a pre-feasability study on building a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in its central region. The plant, which would be the first in the central region, is scheduled to become operational between 2017 and 2020.

Vietnam's energy demand is estimated at 230 billion kwh in 2020, of which 165 billion kwh will be met by domestic primary sources like fossil fuel, some 5 billion kwh by renewable sources, 20 billion kwh by imports, and 40 billion kwh by nuclear energy and thermoelectricity generated from plants using imported coal.

... "We're building a legal corridor for nuclear energy development. Besides, we'll hold more international seminars on the issue. A seminar on nuclear energy's safety and economic aspects will be held in the first quarter of next year," [an official] said, adding that Vietnam will organize more nuclear energy exhibitions in 2006 to gain stronger public acceptance of the energy.

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