VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang spoke to Cong Thuong (Industry and Trade) newspaper about laying the groundwork for construction of the nation's first nuclear power plant.

The explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan have increased public concerns about the safety of nuclear power, particularly the safety of plants slated for construction in the central province of Ninh Thuan. What's your reaction?

People's worries are legitimate because they relate to possible threats to lives and the environment. However, the Government has assigned relevant ministries and agencies, including this ministry, to update public information about safety measures. The Fukushima nuclear power plant is a second-generation plant that was built in the 1970s, so it has not yet applied passive safety principles.

The nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan will be required to use modern, third-generation nuclear reactors which operate under passive safety principles. Therefore, if there are any problems like what happened at the Fukushima plant, the Ninh Thuan plant will automatically handle the problem without any human action needed and will have supplemental electrical sources. The design has been assessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency as the most modern and safe technology available at present.

Additionally, the choice of technology and location for construction of the Vietnamese plant has been carefully studied based on many criteria, with public and environmental safety the top criteria.

While studying the feasibility of the project, safety surveyors not only assessed the geology of the site and the possibility of earthquakes but also the possibility of being shaken from surrounding areas. Between now and 2014, relevant agencies will complete their feasibility study. Whether the project will continue implementation will depend on the results of the study. The project will be postponed if any factors threatening the safety of local people are found.

Viet Nam is considered a country with a lot of potential for environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. Why don't we focus on these energy sources instead of nuclear power?

Traditional sources of energy have become exhausted and have had negative effects on the environment while failing to meet the nation's demand. If we do not find new sources, our country will face a severe electricity shortage in the near future. Developing sustainable renewable energy has received great attention from the Government, but hydroelectric sources have been exploited to maximum.

Wind, solar, tide and geothermal energy sources have potential but these need more time to become viable. Meanwhile, nuclear energy is completely pure in terms of exploitation and has been used effectively by many countries in the world. Impacts from earthquakes and tsunami could be minimised and prevented if nuclear power plants are designed according to current technology.

The Government aims to use nuclear power safely and for peaceful purposes while still exploiting other energy sources.

How has the nation prepared the human resources needed to operate a completely new technology like nuclear power?

Human resources are particularly important in many steps, from feasibility studies and project design and management, to plant construction, testing, and plant operations and maintenance. Normally, each nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2,000MW needs 1,000 employees with college or university degrees, and Viet Nam plans to build two nuclear power plants with a capacity of 2,000MW each so the demand for trained human resources is great.

The Government has had plans to train human resources in the field of nuclear power for many years, and they have been working with such agencies as the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute and the Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety. These are key personnel who will take part in the nuclear power programme.

We continue sending officials and students abroad for further training in the field of atomic energy in Russia and South Korea and are building training co-operation programmes with other countries. We expect to have sufficient human resources to meet the demand of the nuclear sector by 2020.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News