Firstly, it is urgent to develop a complete and synchronized set of decrees, circulars, and technical standards to serve the management of nuclear power projects, prioritizing those that meet the requirements of the initial stages up to the commencement of nuclear power plant construction.
At the same time, it is necessary to study and issue a number of essential technical standards to serve the process of preparing, appraising, evaluating, and approving licensing applications at stages where the relevant decrees and circulars do not have quantitative criteria as a basis for implementation.
Regarding the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines for implementing nuclear safety requirements and nuclear security recommendations, it is necessary to request permission from the competent authority to apply them directly, without the need for localization into Vietnamese standards or regulatory guidelines for the implementation of nuclear power projects at this time. Furthermore, the use of technical standards and regulations from partner countries should be permitted, provided that the partner country demonstrates their suitability to Vietnam's specific conditions.
To implement this task, the Ministry of Science and Technology needs to develop and submit for approval a master plan to complete the legal and regulatory framework for nuclear power project management and periodically update, supplement, and refine this plan.
Secondly , updating and approving the Pre-feasibility Study Report . According to the 2025 Atomic Energy Law, the Pre-feasibility Study Report for a nuclear power project must be prepared and submitted for approval in accordance with the current situation and requirements. Resolution No. 189/2025/QH15 dated February 19, 2025, requires the preparation and verification of a pre-feasibility study report.
To establish a basis for reviewing the pre-feasibility study report, specific regulations for the nuclear power sector, distinct from other energy types, need to be developed. These specific regulations include: requirements for national nuclear infrastructure to be achieved at milestone 1 (investment policy decision) as guided by the IAEA in documents NG-G-3.1, SSG-16, and NG-T-3.2; and requirements for preliminary assessment and site selection for nuclear power plants to facilitate detailed surveys during the feasibility study phase.
To meet this requirement, the Ministry of Science and Technology needs to develop a circular stipulating the technical infrastructure requirements at key points in the roadmap for the implementation of Vietnam's first nuclear power project, based on the aforementioned IAEA guidelines. This will be a mandatory basis and a necessary condition for reviewing, approving the Pre-feasibility Study Report as well as the Feasibility Study Report, granting construction permits and operating permits in subsequent stages.
Thirdly , the process involves preparing and approving the site for the nuclear power plant . Site approval can be done separately or concurrently with the approval of the Feasibility Study (FS) report for the nuclear power project, as stipulated in Article 43 of the Atomic Energy Law 2025. To expedite land clearance, it is necessary to pre-approve the nuclear power plant site, clearly identifying the location of the reactors and the number of nuclear power units planned for each site. This is a crucial basis for implementing land clearance for the construction of the nuclear power project.
To accomplish this task, it is necessary to issue a National Technical Standard on Nuclear Power Plant Sites with the following main objectives: establishing specific technical requirements and quantitative criteria for evaluating, selecting, and approving nuclear power plant sites; standardizing the process of surveying, measuring, monitoring, and QA/QC data on site locations, ensuring consistency and transparency; and creating a legal and technical basis for the assessment and approval of nuclear power plant sites.
Fourth, the approval of nuclear power plant designs is a rather complex issue involving many stages. Specifically, regarding technology evaluation and selection, according to Article 44 of the 2025 Atomic Energy Law, nuclear power plant technology must be advanced and proven. Currently, Vietnam does not have detailed national guidelines on the process and criteria for evaluating and selecting technology, including the SMR technology that we are interested in developing.
Therefore, developing national guidelines is necessary to standardize the process of evaluating and selecting nuclear power plant technologies in Vietnam, in compliance with international standards; ensuring the selection of appropriate, safe, and efficient technologies, reducing implementation risks and increasing the success rate of the national nuclear power program; and creating a legal and scientific basis for investors, management agencies, and consultants. In the short term, this will provide investors (EVN and PVN) with a basis for negotiating technology selection with foreign suppliers.
In addition, it is necessary to develop specific technical standards for Vietnam to facilitate the approval of preliminary design, basic design, and post-basic design as stipulated in the Atomic Energy Law 2025.
Fifthly, licensing for the construction of nuclear power plants (Article 46 of the Atomic Energy Law 2025). Accordingly, it is necessary to develop relevant decrees and circulars to provide detailed guidance on Article 46, clearly specifying the types of documents that investors need to prepare and submit to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority for appraisal, evaluation, and licensing.
To assess and evaluate applications for nuclear power plant construction permits, Vietnam needs to develop the following national technical standards based on the IAEA system (SSR-2/1, SSG-12, SSG-30, GSR Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 7…) and the experience of countries building new nuclear power plants (UAE, Bangladesh, Türkiye).
Specifically, it is necessary to issue technical regulations on: site safety for nuclear power plants; radiation protection and dose limits for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants; design for nuclear power plants to withstand natural disasters and extreme loads; emergency response zone planning; and management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. These technical standards and regulations can be directly referenced from the IAEA, international sources, or technology suppliers to support the assessment and evaluation of construction permit applications. Clearly define the responsibilities of ministries, sectors, and localities in assessing and evaluating applications for nuclear power plant construction permits, with the Ministry of Science and Technology playing the leading role in the assessment process.
Sixth, negotiating and signing EPC contracts with foreign partners . For investors (EVN and PVN) to negotiate and sign EPC contracts, it is necessary to clearly define how we will develop nuclear power and integrate this into the content of the EPC contracts. This is a task of the national long-term nuclear power development program (the Program). Currently, many contents within the Program framework are being implemented, but core contents that provide investors with a basis for negotiating EPC contracts have not yet been implemented, such as: technology selection, mastery and localization, fuel supply security, management and treatment of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, participation of domestic industry, nuclear damage compensation, etc.
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/nhung-viec-can-lam-ngay-de-khoi-cong-xay-dung-nha-may-dien-hat-nhan-10400434.html
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