A majority of National Assembly deputies approved the investment plan for the 32.5 trillion VND (1.8 billion USD) Lai Chau Hydro-electric Power Plant project on Nov. 7.

The plant will occupy more than 4,630ha over nine communes of Lai Chau province, of which 3,960ha will be taken up by the reservoir and the other 670ha, for the project main area.

Approximately 1,330 households in Muong Te district, Lai Chau province, will have to relocate for the project, according to a Government report.

The project would provide a large amount of electricity for the nation during the dry season, said Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang.

Hoang said that the project would take nine years to complete; electricity would not be provided by the plant until the beginning of 2016.

The deputies suggested that efficient resettlement be made a big priority of the project and look to recent projects in neighbouring Son La and Hoa Binh provinces to find the best resettlement solutions.

Deputies also agreed to build the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant, which is said to be a strategic step towards developing one of the most effective energy sources of the world. Several deputies, however, expressed concern over the safety of the project.

“It requires a long process of building up the awareness from central to local levels. Therefore, we need to well prepare for the infrastructure and the legal frames,” said Thao from Kien Giang.

Hoang Ngoc Thai from Ninh Thuan province suggested that the Government should establish a council with the best experts across the country to come up with the best strategies to ensure safety and proper development of the project./.