Russia pledges "post-Fukushima" technology for Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant

By Toan Dao   June 12, 2016 | 01:41 am PT
Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom will use ‘post-Fukushima’ technology to build Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan Province, Russian Sputniknews reported on Saturday.

The future generation of Vietnamese nuclear scientists currently studying in Russia have had the chance to train on generation 3+ nuclear technology at the Novovoronezh nuclear power station in central Russia. The first reactor in the world to use this technology has just been fired up at the station, according to the daily.

Vietnam's Da Lat Nuclear Reactor. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Truong

Vietnam's Da Lat Nuclear Reactor. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Truong

Currently the Vietnamese government is looking at the design for the plant. “The timeframe for the construction of the project is up to the customer. We are talking about 2027-2028. From the Russian side, Rosatom is ready to perform its mission at any time selected by Hanoi,” the daily said.

Rosatom’s Deputy Director Kirill Komarov told an industry forum on May 31 that the Ninh Thuan 1 is likely to begin commercial operations in 2027 or 2028, about six years later than previously planned.

Vietnam signed an agreement in October 2010 for Russia’s Atomstroyexport, the engineering arm of Rosatom, to build the Ninh Thuan I Nuclear Power Plant, which will consist of two VVER-1000 or VVER-1200 reactors. In November 2010, Vietnam signed a separate agreement with a Japanese consortium that includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba and Hitachi for two 1000-MW Gen III units at the Ninh Thuan II project.

In March this year, the Vietnamese government decided to push back plans to open its first nuclear power plant until 2028, but it did not specify whether it would be the Ninh Thuan I or Ninh Thuan II.

Related news:

> Vietnam’s Russian-funded nuclear power plant faces six-year delay

> Vietnam postpones start-up of first nuclear power plant to 2028

 
 
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