Vietnam’s parliament has approved an agreement concerning the country’s first nuclear power project, the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, which is planned to be developed by Russia’s Rosatom. The 4 GW Ninh Thuan project is split into three independent projects (two nuclear power plants, Ninh Thuan 1 in Phuoc Dinh and Ninh Thuan 2 in Vinh Hai, and a compensation, support and resettlement project), to help remove legal obstacles and accelerate preparations for the national nuclear power programme.
The approval comes after Russia and Vietnam signed an intergovernmental agreement in March 2026 on cooperation for the construction of two reactors under the Ninh Thuan 1 project. No additional details were provided on the expected construction schedule. Discussions on the project date back to 2010, when the two countries initially agreed to proceed with its construction, before the project was subsequently suspended. (KEI, 25/03/2026).
Vietnam has since revived its nuclear ambitions as it looks for ways to meet future energy demand, driven by strong economic growth in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and by its plans to eventually phase out coal. Electricity consumption has increased by more than 6%/year since 2015 (Enerdata Global Energy Research).
The country abandoned its nuclear plans in 2016 amid economic concerns and rapidly rising projected costs. However, in late 2024, the National Assembly approved the relaunch of the 4 GW Ninh Thuan nuclear project. The future of Ninh Thuan 2, which was initially planned with Japanese partners, remains uncertain following Japan’s withdrawal from its commitment to build the plant in December 2025, citing time constraints.
The Revised Power Development Plan (PDP) VIII, issued in April 2025, incorporated nuclear power into a PDP for the first time, with 4-6.4 GW expected between 2030 and 2035, corresponding to the Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 projects. By 2050, another 8 GW of nuclear capacity could be added for a total of 14 GW.
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