Russian contractor fixes costs for Ninh Thuan nuclear power project
13:41 | 05/02/2015
Latest information on the Ninh Thuan I nuclear power project was released by Russian group Rosatom – the general contractor - on Tuesday.
According to Rosatom, from 2013 Rosatom has introduced the two versions of the VVER technology - AES-92 and AES-2006 - to Vietnam. It seems that Vietnam is in favor of the second version.
For the total cost for this project, Rosatom said that the final number can only be accurately assessed after the design is completed.
Based on his experience in building many nuclear projects in Russia and some other countries, Pershukov said that $10 billion of investment in a 2,000 MW plant (equivalent to $5,000 for one kW) is too high. He said the final total investment depends entirely on the construction site, physical condition, the localization rate and the exchange rate. The total expenditure made so far is still preliminary.
Referring to the time to kick off the project, he said that it depends on Vietnam. "Even if Vietnam keeps changing the plan, the Russian partner will fully comply," he added.
Responding to the worry about the safety of nuclear power plants, Pershukov confirmed that the first principle of Rosatom and its reactor versions is to meet the strict criteria set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Earlier, on February 2-3, the Vietnam - Russia Nuclear Energy Cooperation Coordination Committee met to discuss some of the content of the legal framework in the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in information and communication in the field of atomic energy in the period 2015-2020 was signed by the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam Tran Thanh and Mr. V. Pershukov.
The first nuclear power project of Vietnam was ratified by the National Assembly in November 2009, including two plants with a total capacity of 4,000 MW located in Ninh Thuan province, in central Vietnam. Under the plan, the construction of Ninh Thuan I will start in 2014 and it will begin generating electricity in 2020. However, construction has been delayed for careful preparation to ensure safety at the highest level.
Source: VietnamNet.com