Vietnam Partnerships and a Reinvigorated Civil Nuclear Program
![Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirms nuclear plant goal by 2030](/sites/default/files/2025-02/img6895-1738635176789726805844.jpg)
In November 2024, Vietnam announced the resumption of its 4GW nuclear power plant development in Ninh Thuận Province, with operations scheduled to begin by 2030. More recently, an agreement was formed between Russian Nuclear SOE Rosatom and Vietnam State-owned EVN, during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to Hanoi on January 14, 2025. The agreement was signed a few days after Vietnam announced the establishment of the Steering Committee for Nuclear Power Plant Construction, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with the Ministry of Industry and Trade serving as the standing agency of the committee.
Russia considers Vietnam a key partner in Southeast Asia, and aims to expand cooperation into new areas, including solar and wind energy, as well as green transport. Russia is prepared to implement nuclear power projects in Vietnam and develop electric waterway transport systems. Additionally, Russia is exploring the possibility of supplying Vietnam with low-carbon industrial products and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Vietnam’s reliance on international collaboration to bridge operational gaps in nuclear power project poses risks, including geopolitical factors such as sanctions on Rosatom and supply chain disruptions, which could complicate progress. Vietnam’s economic growth and the prioritization of stable energy sources underscore the necessity of nuclear power, but decisive planning, transparency, and reliable partnerships will be key to ensuring its success.