First commercial reactors could be online from 2030-2035
Vietnam has officially approved a revised version of its national power development plan, allocating $136bn (€119bn) by 2030 to strengthen long-term energy security and including nuclear power for the first time.
The updated plan makes solar power the country’s leading energy source, overtaking coal.
By 2030, solar energy is expected to contribute over 25% of Vietnam’s electricity mix. In comparison, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal are projected to account for 12.3% and 16.9% respectively.
The plan also formally incorporates nuclear power into Vietnam’s energy structure, with the first plants planned to come online between 2030 and 2035. Installed nuclear capacity is projected to reach from 4 GW to 6.4 GW, equivalent of around 4-6 large-scale nuclear power plants.
The government said another 8 GW of nuclear capacity would be added to the mix by mid-century.
In February reports in the Southeast Asian nation said Hanoi was planning hold talks with potential foreign partners about developing its first two nuclear power stations after the government formally approved a plan with the aim of having a reactor online in the next decade.
The government has previously said its planned nuclear programme will involve building two nuclear power stations with a combined capacity of 4,000 MW in the central province of Ninh Thuan.
Vietnam had planned the two stations as far back as 2009, but the National Assembly rejected the proposal in 2016 on cost grounds.
The proposed plants were planned to be built by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Japan Atomic Power Company.
In December 2024, lawmakers asked the government to resume the development of the nuclear power programme after a vote on 30 November, according to the official government news portal.
The central committee of the communist party of Vietnam had already agreed to restarting the nuclear programme.
The government estimates that power consumption will reach 1,200 TWh by 2045 compared to 1,000 TWh in earlier estimates.
According to a report by accountancy company PwC, Vietnam’s expected economic growth over the next three decades means a need for 150 GW in installed energy generation capacity by 2030, and 500 GW by 2050, from about 80 GW today.
