Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh concluded the second meeting of the Steering Committee for the construction of nuclear power plants. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Ninh Thuan nuclear power project was approved by the 12th National Assembly in 2009, with a scale of 2 plants and a capacity of over 4,000 MW. However, in 2016, the 14th National Assembly passed a resolution to temporarily suspend the project.

Faced with the requirements of the new development period, at the end of 2024, the Party Central Committee and the National Assembly reviewed and agreed on the policy of restarting the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project. Immediately after that, on January 10, 2025, the Prime Minister established the Steering Committee for the construction of the nuclear power plant and held the first meeting of the Steering Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

After 1 month, ministries, branches and Ninh Thuan province have been carrying out many tasks related to the construction of the nuclear power plant. These include proposing a unit to take on the role of the project investor; studying specific mechanisms to implement the project; reporting to competent authorities to request approval to renegotiate with foreign partners; reviewing and adjusting the Power Plan VIII, supplementing the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project; studying and amending a number of related laws; contacting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assess Vietnam's nuclear power infrastructure according to IAEA standards.

Ministries, sectors and localities are developing plans, selecting technologies, survey roadmaps, establishing feasibility designs, construction and steps to appraise feasibility study reports (FS) and are ready to negotiate and sign EPC contracts; developing a special national-level scientific and technological research program on nuclear power technology and safety; developing a plan to train and foster human resources for state management of research and science, and support science and technology to serve nuclear power development...

Mr. Le Manh Hung, Chairman of Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Concluding the meeting, welcoming the Ministry of Industry and Trade and ministries, branches and localities for urgently implementing the construction of nuclear power plants, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested to continue to strengthen the Steering Committee, add more members and agencies to assist the Steering Committee, specifically the Steering Committee Support Team with cadres and experts who are capable, professional, responsible, enthusiastic and passionate in this field.

Requiring ministries and branches to urgently complete the legal system related to nuclear power, in which, when submitting the amendment to the Law on Atomic Energy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that time, intelligence and decisiveness determine all victories; based on the domestic and international context, amend and supplement the law in the direction of issues that are clear, mature, proven to be correct in practice, effectively implemented, and agreed by the majority, then include them in the Law; promote decentralization, clearly define responsibilities, eliminate the request-grant mechanism, reduce administrative procedures; assign tasks that businesses do well to businesses...

Chairman of Vietnam Electricity Group Dang Hoang An speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Note that for the common task, to fight against formalities, negativity, and corruption, the Prime Minister directed ministries, branches, and localities to propose specific policies and mechanisms to implement the project as quickly and smoothly as possible, in the spirit of "running while queuing", to be completed before February 15, 2025 for the Ministry of Industry and Trade to synthesize and report to the Government to submit to competent authorities; complete the submission of adjustments to the VIII Power Plan before February 28, 2025.

Agreeing to strive to complete the construction of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant by December 31, 2030, or at the latest by December 31, 2031, the Prime Minister requested to build a progress critical path according to this target, assign tasks to ministries, branches, and localities; conduct negotiations with partners to best meet the requirements set forth in the Conclusions and Resolutions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the National Assembly, and the direction of the General Secretary.

Based on previously negotiated content, update new elements, determine scale, capacity, technology, total investment; review previously trained human resources, as well as human resources in similar professions to supplement knowledge and have policies and mechanisms to attract human resources for nuclear power development.

Chairman of Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee Tran Quoc Nam speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

In the immediate future, the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) will assume the role of investors in Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant 1 and Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant 2. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project is a large-scale national key project, so it is necessary to mobilize resources, first using the reserve capital of 2025, then researching and supplementing capital for the project.

The Prime Minister requested Ninh Thuan province to urgently and immediately complete site clearance, resettlement, and stabilization of life, production, and business for people in the project area in 2025, and be ready to hand over 1,600 hectares of clean land to implement the project; at the same time, coordinate with ministries, branches, agencies, and enterprises to upgrade Thanh Son airport in a dual-use direction to serve and exploit the needs of the Nuclear Power Plant project and the socio-economic development goals of Ninh Thuan and the region.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the second meeting of the Steering Committee for the construction of nuclear power plants. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Assigning specific tasks to ministries, branches and localities in coordinating with the IAEA on issues related to nuclear power; appraising feasibility study reports; allocating contingency funds for projects according to regulations; enhancing information and communication..., the Prime Minister requested the Steering Committee to maintain meetings once a month to review, examine and promote the implementation of nuclear power plant construction.

According to baotintuc.vn