Vietnam invests in nuclear power. Russia as an important partner

The agreement was signed on March 23 during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Moscow. It provides for the construction of two WWER-1200 reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW. The Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant is to be built in Ninh Thuan Province, in southern Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea.

“For us, this is not merely a contract to build two nuclear units. We see it as the foundation of a long-term industrial partnership that will strengthen Vietnam’s energy independence,” said Alexey Likhachev, head of the state-owned corporation Rosatom.

Vietnam decided to resume the development of nuclear energy in 2024. The country faces potential energy shortages caused by growing industrial demand and extreme weather events. Work on the power plant was originally halted in 2016 due to a lack of funding and safety concerns. At the end of 2025, Japan withdrew from its plans to build a nuclear power plant in Vietnam. This opened the door for Russia to deepen its cooperation with the country and expand the reach of its nuclear technology. The cost of the project and the planned commissioning date have not been disclosed.