Russia willing to help VN build nuclear power plant

Russia is willing to cooperate with Vietnam in building its first nuclear power plant, said an executive of Russia’s Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation.

Valeri Rachkov, Director of Rosatom’s Scientific Policy Department, said during the International Nuclear Energy Exhibition which wrapped up in Hanoi on May 17 that Russian companies have good prospect of winning bids for building the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam as Russia has experiences in this field.

He noted that the Russian company Atomstroieksport is currently building five reactors overseas – two in India, one in Iran and two in Bulgaria – that make up nearly 20 percent of the world’s nuclear energy market.

However, the executive added that it is still too early to mention any specific plans as there will be fierce competition in the Vietnamese market.

On May 15 and 16, representatives from Rosatom and Atomstroieksport met with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute on the issue.

Vietnam ’s National Assembly is discussing a bill on nuclear energy. If the bill is approved in June, it will pave the way for the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant and by 2020, the country’s first reactor will begin its operation.

The government’s power development plan sets the target that nuclear energy will make up at least 3 percent of the country’s power sources by 2020.

Source: CPV/VNA

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