EVN Flags Workforce and Financing Hurdles for Vietnam's First Nuclear Plant

Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has laid out three major hurdles facing the country's first nuclear power project, Ninh Thuan 1, in Khanh Hoa province. Speaking at a seminar on nuclear and radiation safety, EVN deputy general director Nguyen Tai Anh said the plant demands Vietnam's highest-ever technical and safety standards.

The three challenges: an underdeveloped legal and regulatory framework that still needs to align with IAEA requirements; heavy capital needs and financing structure for the two reactor units, targeted for operation between 2030 and 2035 under the revised Power Development Plan VIII; and a workforce and public-acceptance gap, with EVN estimating over 2,000 specialized personnel are needed — around 400 in project management and 1,700-1,800 in plant operations and maintenance.

EVN's response plan covers dedicated project-management mechanisms, completing the legal framework, coordinating land clearance and resettlement with Khanh Hoa authorities, workforce training and technology transfer supported by Russia's Rosatom, and public communications. As of a February 2026 update, negotiations with Rosatom on a draft intergovernmental construction-cooperation agreement are complete.

Source: The Investor. Read the full article.