Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung confirmed that Vietnam is determined to build nuclear power plants, otherwise the country will be in serious shortage of power.

The first nuclear power plant of Vietnam will be built here.

Attending the recent year-end meeting of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), one of the missions that the PM emphasized and asked the MoST to quickly implement, is compiling legal documents on and training human resources for the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia.

“We are determined to develop nuclear power. Without nuclear power, we will not have sufficient power for development. It is estimated that by 2020, Vietnam will be in serious shortage of electricity,” the PM said.

“If we do not have qualified human resources, we will be unable to develop nuclear power of if we are able, it will be unsafe,” he added.

The PM said that Vietnam will consult developed countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in developing nuclear power.

PM Dung said that Russia had agreed to lend Vietnam US$10.5 billion, including $8 billion for building nuclear power plants, $500 million for the Nuclear Power Research Centre and $2 billion for other tasks.

In addition, Japan also agreed to lend Vietnam ODA capital to develop nuclear power.

“We have had institution and capital and the world has had technology. Vietnam can choose the best technology. The most important thing now is human resources. This is the decisive forces for the safety of nuclear power plants,” PM Dung said, adding that nuclear power accidents are mainly caused by human.

Dr. Vuong Huu Tan, Rector of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, said that the institute is working on a comprehensive plan on nuclear power facilities.

Dr. Tan proposed to have policies to attract highly qualified scientists.

The first nuclear power project of Vietnam will be based in Ninh Thuan province, including two plants with total capacity of 4,000 MW.

The first plant will begin construction in 2014 and will start operational in 2020. The National Assembly has approved the nuclear power project.

Source: VNN