Vietnam has delayed construction work on its first nuclear power plant, which was initially planned at the end of 2014, Vietnam Industry and Trade Ministry Deputy Minister Cao Quoc Hung said.
Thanh Nien Daily cited Hung as saying at a meeting that the construction is now rescheduled to be completed by 2020 or 2022 in order to ensure safety and efficiency.
Russian utility and energy company Rosatom will construct the first four-reactor facility over the course of six years in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan.
The four-reactor plant would have an annual capacity of around 1,000MW upon completion.
An unnamed Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission senior official was quoted by Reuters as saying that in early 2014, the country also considered construction of seven other nuclear plants by 2030, aimed to generate 15,000MW or 10% of its total generating capacity through nuclear power.
By 2020, Vietnam's total power generation could stand at 75,000MW, of which 48% will come from coal, 25.5% from hydropower, 16.5% gas, 5.6% renewable energy, 1.3% nuclear power and 3.1% through imports, according to Thanh Nien Daily.
According to experts, nuclear power development delays may not have a significant impact on the overall power supply in 2020.
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