Vietnam Selects Russia's Rosatom for Revived Nuclear Project

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Vietnam has signed an agreement for Russian state nuclear company Rosatom to construct two VVER-1200 reactors for a revived nuclear power project.

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Russia-Vietnam Agreement

The governments of Russia and Vietnam signed an agreement earlier this week for Russia's state nuclear power company Rosatom to construct the reactors for a 2,400-megawatt (MW) nuclear plant in the Southeast Asian country. The region in general is seeing a revived interest in nuclear power, but while most countries in the area are focusing on small modular reactors (SMRs), Vietnam is bucking the trend in planning for two 1,200-megawatt VVER-1200 conventional reactors.

Revived Nuclear Program

Vietnam has previously considered making nuclear power a part of its energy mix, with plans dating from 2009 calling for an initial 2,000 MW of nuclear power from the planned Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear plant. After years of planning and early movements on the project, Vietnam cancelled its entire nuclear program in 2016, which included not only the Thuan 1 plant but also the nearby 2,000-MW Ninh Thuan 2 plant. Plans for the projects went as far as relocating two villages, according to World Nuclear News, but all preliminary work was halted in 2016 for economic and safety reasons, and the projects remained dormant until a 2024 revival.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

The government revived its nuclear energy program in 2024, and the fruits of that were seen this week as the start of construction for Ninh Thuan 1 moves closer, with the originally planned 2,000-MW plant expanded to 2,400 MW through the construction of two newer-generation VVER-1200 reactors.

The VVER-1200

The VVER-1200 is one of the latest generations available to use for the water-water energetic reactor (hence the Russianized VVER) design that was originally developed more than 50 years ago in the Soviet Union and continues to be developed by Russian state design office OKB Gidropress. Initially gaining ground as a 440-MW design, the VVER reactor hit a landmark design after 1975 with the VVER-1000, a 1,000-MW unit that originally was planned for Ninh Thuan 1. This design has subsequently evolved into the 1,200-MW VVER-1200, the latest model available for construction and the intended units for the revived Ninh Thuan 1.

Several VVER-1200 units have been constructed in Russia, and Vietnam and Russia specifically pointed to units 1 and 2 at Russia's Leningrad 2 nuclear power plant to serve as a model for the Vietnamese project.

The VVER-1200 has gained ground globally. In addition to active construction projects in Russia, VVER-12000 units are being constructed at:

• The 4,800-MW Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey, expected to be completed in 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
• The 4,800-MW El Dabaa plant in Egypt, where three units are under construction and work on a fourth is expected to begin later this year.
• The two-unit, 2,400-MW Rooppur plant in Bangladesh. Click here to see the project report.
• Two units each at the operational Xudabao and Tianwan plants in China.

The VVER-1200 technology also is planned for the Paks II nuclear project in Hungary (two units) and is a prime contender for a grassroot nuclear plant in Kazakhstan.

Southeast Asian Nuclear Interest

Multiple southeast Asian countries are considering making nuclear energy a significant part of their power mix. While Vietnam is moving toward construction of conventional reactors, its neighbors in the region, in particular Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, are primarily considering smaller projects based on small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Industrial Info is tracking 45 active nuclear projects across the three countries, ranging in size from 30-MW micro modular reactors being considered in the Philippines to more than 600 MW for designs employing multiple SMRs. The many islands of Indonesia represent the bulk of the region's planned nuclear activity, primarily coming in the form of several planned 250-MW plants.

Key Takeaways

• The governments of Vietnam and Russia have signed an agreement for Russia's Rosatom to construct the two reactors for a 2,400 nuclear power plant in Vietnam.
• The nuclear project had been in planning from 2009, but Vietnam cancelled its entire nuclear program in 2016.
• The planned Ninh Thuan 1 plant will use VVER-1200 reactors, the latest iteration of a Soviet-designed reactor that is in operation and being constructed in multiple countries.

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About IIR News Intelligence
IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).