HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam will hold talks with foreign partners this month about projects to develop its first two nuclear power plants, the government said on Tuesday.
State utility EVN and oil and gas firm PetroVietnam have been assigned as the investors for the first two plants, the government said in a statement.
It will discuss the projects with partners that include Russia, Japan, South Korea, France and the United States, according to state media.
The Southeast Asian country, a regional manufacturing hub, is seeking to boost electricity supplies to support its fast-growing economy, with a focus on cleaner energy.
In 2009, Vietnam had approved plans to develop its first two nuclear power plants, but those were shelved in 2016 in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and due to budget constraints.
The proposed plants, with a combined capacity of 4 gigawatts, were planned to be built by Russia’s Rosatom and Japan Atomic Power Co in the central province of Ninh Thuan.
Vietnam aims to complete the construction of the plants by the end of 2030, adding that the deadline is end-2031.
(Reporting by Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Martin Petty)
