Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Power Plant Construction, chaired the committee’s third meeting on October 22.
PM Chinh emphasised that ensuring national energy security and a stable electricity supply is essential for economic development.
Recent experience shows that for every 1% economic growth, electricity demand rises 1.5–2 times. For example, with 2024’s average economic growth of over 7%, electricity demand grew by 12%. Therefore, with projected economic growth of above 8% this year, electricity demand is expected to rise 15–16%. Currently, the country’s peak electricity consumption is 54,500 MW, which means annual demand increases by 6,500–8,200 MW, he shared.
The PM emphasised that Vietnam plans to focus on high-tech development, semiconductor production, building national large-scale data centres, promoting green transition, increasing electric vehicle use, and developing high-speed and urban rail systems, resulting in very high electricity demand. Therefore, urgent expansion of power sources is needed, with nuclear energy considered a stable and crucial source to ensure energy security, support the transition to clean, environmentally friendly energy, and achieve low-emission targets.
The Politburo and the Party Central Committee recently issued a resolution agreeing to restart the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project and continue studying Vietnam’s nuclear power development programme. The resolution on national energy security through 2030, with a vision to 2045, directs the urgent implementation of the Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 nuclear power plant projects with suitable partners, ensuring maximum benefit while taking previous agreements into account.
During the meeting, the government leader directed the steering committee members to concentrate on reviewing task implementation and to propose solutions with high determination, strong effort, and decisive action.
The Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project, currently in Khanh Hoa province, was approved by the 12th National Assembly in 2009, planned as two separate plants with a total capacity of over 4,000 MW. However, in 2016, the 14th National Assembly passed a resolution to suspend the project.
Facing the demands of the new development period, at the end of 2024, the Party Central Committee and the National Assembly agreed to restart this project. Shortly after, PM Chinh established the Steering Committee for Nuclear Power Plant Construction./.
