HÀ NỘI – The National Assembly has adopted a resolution cancelling a project to build the Ninh Thuận nuclear power plant, said the Chairman of the Government Office, Mai Tiến Dũng, at a news conference yesterday.

The project, approved by the NA in 2009, called for two nuclear power plants to be built in the southcentral province of Ninh Thuận, with a capacity of 2000 MW each, to supply power for the national grid and contribute to the nation and the province’s socio-economic development.

The decision to scrap the project stems from the country’s current economic situation, according to Dũng.

The development of the national macro-economy has undergone many changes since the project was adopted. Now there are not only ways to save power, there is also an option for trading power supply with neighbouring states. In addition, renewable energy like solar and wind power have become more economically feasible as prices have dropped in the past five years.

"Việt Nam is also in dire need of capital to build a synchronised and modern infrastructure system and tackle problems due to climate change," Dũng said, emphasising that the cancellation was not due to technological problems.

He said the nuclear technologies of Russia and Japan, which were supposed to be used for the project, were the most advanced and offered a very high level of safety.

The decision was made after careful consideration by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the Government and the NA in order to ensure the country’s sustainable development, Dũng said.

The decision would not affect the country’s power supply as production of other kinds of electricity would be boosted to supplement the national power grid. These include thermo-electricity, renewable electricity, and electricity generated from liquefied natural gas (LNG). The possibility of buying electricity from neighbouring countries, particularly from Laos, would also be considered, he said.

In the future, thermal power plants using environment-friendly technology and LNG-based power plants will be built to make up for the abolished Ninh Thuận Power Plant, according to Dũng. –  VNS