International Atomic Energy Agency reviews Viet Nam’s nuclear power infrastructure development

~ Đào Thu Hằng

IAEA.org 12 December 2025 Ninh Thuan Province, Viet Nam

Viet Nam has taken important actions towards adding nuclear power to its energy mix, including in developing the necessary infrastructure for a safe and sustainable nuclear power programme, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission.

An IAEA team of experts yesterday concluded an 11-day mission to Viet Nam to review its infrastructure development for the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project, which had been stopped in 2016. In 2024, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam decided to restart the project and the National Assembly of Viet Nam authorized the Government to allocate the necessary resources for its implementation.

The establishment of nuclear power is an objective of the Revised National Power Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, which considers nuclear power as key for diversifying the national energy mix and strengthening energy security amidst Viet Nam’s steadily rising energy demand and economic growth in recent years.  The plan envisages the commissioning of two nuclear power plants, Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2, during the 2030–2035 period, with a total capacity of 4,000–6,400 MW.

The Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) was carried out from 1 to 11 December 2025, at the invitation of the Government of Viet Nam and hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The team reviewed the status of 19 nuclear infrastructure issues using the IAEA evaluation methodology for Phase 2 of the Milestones Approach, which evaluates the readiness of a country to invite bids or negotiate a contract for the first nuclear power plant. The team comprised of three experts from Brazil, Bulgaria and United Kingdom, as well as seven IAEA staff. 

The team identified good practices in government-enabling mechanisms for financing and procurement, as well as in leveraging existing expertise in environmental monitoring for nuclear projects, which could benefit other countries developing nuclear power.

“Viet Nam shows strong government commitment to reviving its nuclear power programme,” said mission team leader Eric Mathet, Operational Lead of the IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section. “The country is lying the groundwork for project delivery and is mobilising resources. The INIR mission will support the development of a comprehensive action plan for infrastructure development.” 

The team also made recommendations and suggestions aimed at assisting Viet Nam in making further progress in the development of its nuclear infrastructure and its readiness to build the first nuclear power plant in the country. 

The team also highlighted areas where further actions would benefit Viet Nam, including strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for the nuclear power programme, implementing plans to reinforce its human resource capacities across all areas, completing the preparatory work required for the contracting and construction stages, consolidating national strategies for the nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management, and increasing the effectiveness of coordination mechanisms among all stakeholders.

“The valuable and timely support of the IAEA is highly appreciated as well as the experience and companionship of experts which are of special importance to Vietnam in the process of completing the nuclear power infrastructure according to international standards and IAEA guidelines,” said Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam Le Xuan Dinh

The preliminary draft INIR report was delivered during the closing session of the mission by Aline Des Cloizeaux, Director, IAEA Division of Nuclear Power.

“The team concluded that Viet Nam has taken major steps to restart and accelerate the implementation of the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project and the development of the required infrastructure. In 2025, Viet Nam enacted a new Atomic Energy Law and adopted special mechanisms to facilitate financial and contractual arrangements for the nuclear power plants.” she said during the presentation of the report in Hanoi.

Based on the outcomes of the INIR mission, the IAEA and Viet Nam will update their Integrated Workplan to continue providing coordinated support in line with the future development of the country’s nuclear power programme.

Viet Nam has already hosted INIR missions in the past, in 2009, 2012 and 2014. 

About INIR Missions

INIR missions are based on the IAEA Milestones Approach, with its 19 infrastructure issues, three phases (consider, prepare and construct) and three milestones (decide, contract and commission/operate). INIR missions enable IAEA Member State representatives to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in different countries.

In developing its recommendations, the INIR team considers the comments made by the relevant national organizations. Implementation of any of the team’s recommendations and suggestions is at the discretion of the Member State requesting the mission. The results of the INIR mission are expected to help the Member State develop an action plan to fill any gaps, which in turn will help the development of the national nuclear infrastructure.

INIR is a holistic peer review to assist Member States in assessing the status of their national infrastructure for the introduction of nuclear power. The review covers the comprehensive infrastructure required for developing a safe, secure and sustainable nuclear power programme.

Upon request from a Member State, the IAEA conducts an INIR mission, which consists of a team of international experts, who have direct experience in specialized nuclear infrastructure areas, and IAEA staff. Before receiving an INIR Mission, the country must complete a self-evaluation of the 19 nuclear power infrastructure issues included in the IAEA’s “Milestones” approach, a comprehensive methodology that guides countries and organizations to work in a systematic way towards the introduction of nuclear power.

INIR missions enable IAEA Member State representatives to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in nuclear power infrastructure development. Recommendations and suggestions are provided in a report to the Member State, enabling it to update its national action plan accordingly. By providing a comprehensive assessment of all facets of a nuclear power programme, spanning the regulatory body, utility and all relevant Government stakeholders involved, INIR is a valuable tool to ensure that the infrastructure required for the safe, secure and sustainable use of nuclear power is developed and implemented in a responsible and orderly manner.

INIR missions in Member States

In 2009, the IAEA conducted the first INIR Mission to a country embarking on the use of nuclear power. Since then, INIR missions for the different phases of developing a nuclear power programme were hosted by the following Member States:

Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Estonia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Türkiye, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam and South Africa (an operating country). Press releases on recent INIR missions can be found here.

Mission reports

According to the revised Guidance on Preparing and Conducting INIR Missions (Rev. 2, 2017), the IAEA will publish the INIR mission report 90 days after delivery to the Member State on its website, unless the country requests the IAEA in writing not to do so.

The following reports are currently available: 

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Đăng bởi Đào Thu Hằng

I'm from Hanoi, Viet Nam. I'm an author of Dot Chuoi Non (dotchuoinon.com/author/hangbelu/), a blog on Positive thinking, founded by Dr. Tran Dinh Hoanh, an attorney in Washington DC. I'm a co-founder of Conversations on Vietnam Development - cvdvn.net, a virtual think tank. I am a co-founder of two companies in Viet Nam working on children education services. I advise companies on STEAM education, English language education for children and students in Vietnam. I'm studying the Buddha's teaching and the teaching of Jesus. I practice mindful living including meditation. I hold a PhD on Sustainable Energy Systems from University of Lisbon and Aalto University. I graduated from Hanoi University of Technology on Environmental Engineering. I obtained a Master degree of the same major from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University. My English-language blog at: hangbelu.wordpress/. I play table tennis as a hobby.

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