Russian corporation Rosatom proposes VVER-1200 nuclear reactor for Vietnam

On Rosatom's website, it is said that this roadmap includes the following contents: building a nuclear science and technology center, supplying fuel for the research reactor in Da Lat, Vietnam's participation in the "MBIR-based International Research Center" consortium, and training human resources for the Vietnamese nuclear industry.

Research has been a key area of ​​cooperation between the two sides for decades. In the 1980s, Soviet experts restarted a US-built research reactor, and now Vietnamese experts have placed an order with Rosatom for a new research reactor.

A Rosatom nuclear power plant in Russia.

Rosatom has also conducted a survey in the southern region, in Dong Nai province. Here, a modern, high-capacity research reactor, possibly the best in Southeast Asia, will soon be built. In addition, Rosatom also invited Vietnamese colleagues to Dimitrovgrad to conduct research on Rosatom's promising multipurpose fast reactor.

Notably, Rosatom has proposed its most prominent reactor line, the VVER - 1200, for the project to build a large-scale nuclear power plant in Vietnam.

“Of course, there will be negotiations to clarify the technical and financial aspects. It would be a great honor and a great responsibility for us to build a flagship nuclear power reactor in Southeast Asia, but we are just at the beginning of this journey,” said Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom’s CEO.

VVER-1200 (Voda Voda Energo Reactor-1200) is a water-cooled, water-moderated power reactor; capacity reaches 1,200 MW and belongs to the family of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) - the most popular reactor type in the West.

Thanks to a range of active and passive safety systems that comply with post-Fukushima disaster requirements, the Russian VVER-1200 reactor meets all safety standards and requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Currently, VVER-1200 reactors are operating in 4 countries: Russia (2 reactors), China (2 reactors), Bangladesh (1 reactor), Belarus (1 reactor).

The Joint Statement on major orientations of the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new phase of cooperation also mentioned cooperation on nuclear energy.

Accordingly, the two sides affirmed the importance of accelerating the cooperation project to build a Nuclear Science and Technology Center in Vietnam as well as training Vietnamese students at Russian educational institutions in fields related to the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. The two sides emphasized the need to promote cooperation in developing renewable energy and clean energy. The two sides agreed to promptly negotiate and sign intergovernmental agreements on the construction of nuclear power plants in Vietnam, ensuring advanced technology and strict compliance with regulations on nuclear and radiation safety and for the benefit of socio -economic development.

Previously, in January 2025, Rosatom Energy Project Joint Stock Company (part of Rosatom Group) and Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tap-doan-nga-rosatom-de-xuat-lo-phan-ung-hat-nhan-vver-1200-cho-viet-nam-d283592.html