Vietnam to include nuclear power plants in its energy plan again

Vietnam is preparing to update its national power development plan, which is set to include nuclear power again alongside renewable energy sources. The country had previously planned to develop nuclear power, but reconsidered its plans after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Now, however, it is reversing course, and nuclear power could help support the country’s energy sector and economy.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said at the start of the week that it plans to update last year’s development plan for the country’s electricity sector. The plan, known as PDP8, now includes the use of nuclear power plants and hydrogen alongside renewable energy sources, according to Reuters.

The development plan, approved last May, envisages a massive increase in the country’s installed power generation capacity. While it stood at around 80 GW at the end of last year, it is expected to nearly double to 150 GW by the end of the decade. However, some targets are at risk, Reuters reports, as the expansion of offshore wind power and LNG projects faces regulatory hurdles and high costs.

Nuclear power remains at the planning stage for now

A revised version of the plan, which Reuters obtained in September, envisages the possibility of developing nuclear power. This is expected to help the country ensure energy security and support economic growth. Government representatives said the country had held talks with several other countries, including South Korea, Canada and Russia, about the potential for small modular reactors.

Vietnam has long been considering options for developing nuclear power. In 2009, the country approved plans to build two nuclear power plants, but later reconsidered them after the accident at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant and because of limited financing options. In 2016, the government decided to replace the planned units, with an installed capacity of 4 GW, with coal- and gas-fired power plants.