The Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project has been halted.

The majority of National Assembly deputies voted in favor of passing a resolution to halt the construction of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project.

On the afternoon of November 22nd, with over 92% of delegates voting in favor, the National Assembly passed a resolution to halt the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant construction project. Immediately afterwards, the Government held a specialized press conference on this matter.

According to Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the decision to halt the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project (the project) was carefully considered and based on legal grounds.

Minister Mai Tien Dung affirmed that the nuclear technology from the Russian Federation and Japan, which is expected to be used for the project, is the most advanced and has a very high level of safety.

"The suspension of the project is not due to technological reasons, but rather to the current economic conditions in our country," the government spokesperson said.

Specifically, Vietnam's macroeconomic development situation has changed significantly since the decision to invest (in 2009), there is still considerable room for electricity savings, and the potential for regional grid interconnection to facilitate electricity trading with neighboring countries is expected to increase in the near future.

"On the other hand, our country needs large amounts of capital to invest in the development of synchronous and modern infrastructure projects to create momentum for the socio-economic development of the country, as well as capital to address the problems caused by climate change," the Minister and Head of the Government Office said.

Continue to develop alternative energy sources in a rational manner.

Mr. Mai Tien Dung informed that halting the project would not affect electricity supply security because other types of power sources could be added to the system, such as coal-fired power plants, renewable energy sources, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants. In addition, the Government is also considering measures to increase electricity purchases from neighboring countries, especially from the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Model of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant. Photo: New Energy.

Between now and 2030, the Government is considering investing in replacing the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant with advanced, modern, and environmentally friendly coal-fired power plants and gas turbine power plants using imported LNG, with a total capacity of approximately 6,000 MW.

"These projects ensure the replacement of electricity production from the Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plants," Minister Mai Tien Dung affirmed.

According to the Government Spokesperson, in the period after 2030, Vietnam will continue to rationally develop coal-fired power plants and imported LNG, while considering promoting the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

For infrastructure already invested in, the Government will direct the implementation of measures to maximize and effectively utilize the invested infrastructure within the project scope to serve socio-economic development in the locality.

The Minister and Head of the Government Office stated that although both Russia and Japan expressed regret, they fundamentally expressed understanding and respect for Vietnam's decision. The Vietnamese Government also highly appreciates and deeply thanks the goodwill and support of the Governments of the Russian Federation and Japan.

Mr. Mai Tien Dung affirmed that the Government continues to pay attention to the socio-economic development of Ninh Thuan province and will find solutions to effectively utilize the infrastructure already invested in the province when the project is stopped.

According to Zing.vn