📋 Tender Overview
When mentioning nuclear power, many people think of modern reactors and large-scale plants. However, behind each project is a years-long preparation process with strict requirements on institutions, regulations, human resources, technology and safety culture. The Government Electronic Newspaper conducts a series of articles Nuclear power: More than just building a power plant to analyze the core foundations that need to be built to develop safe and effective nuclear power and gradually master a strategic technology industry. Download Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project model introduced during the visit of the IAEA Director General to Vietnam in 2014 - Photo: IAEALesson 1: Why does nuclear power need more than 10 years of preparation? Developing nuclear power in Vietnam is not a new policy. In 2009, the National Assembly approved the investment policy of Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project with the orientation of developing nuclear power sources to contribute to ensuring national energy security in the long term. After a process of preparation, research, and cooperation with international partners, in 2016, Vietnam decided to temporarily suspend project implementation to re-evaluate in the context of many changes in economic conditions, load demand and related factors. Nearly a decade has passed. Later, the need for electricity to serve economic growth, the requirement to shift energy towards green and clean, and the commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 made the development of nuclear power once again placed on the agenda as a strategic solution for the future. On November 30, 2024, the National Assembly agreed on the policy of continuing to deploy the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project. The Government is assigned to research and implement related tasks, including perfecting institutions, preparing resources and researching appropriate mechanisms to promote projects. However, unlike many other energy projects, nuclear power cannot be deployed according to the mindset of if you need electricity, build a factory. This is an area where every decision, from technology selection, design, human resource training to building regulatory systems and management mechanisms, can affect the operation process for decades to come. Once political determination has been established, what many people are concerned about is no longer do it or not, but: Why does a nuclear power project still need more than 10 years of preparation before the first unit can be put into operation? The answer does not lie in progress. project construction, which requires synchronous preparation of institutional foundations, regulations, technology, human resources, management capacity and safety culture. With nuclear power, the most important part is not the plant construction time, but the process of building capacity to master a special industry with a life cycle lasting tens or even hundreds of years. Download the general floor plan of Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant. Not just building a power plant. According to experts in the field of atomic energy, viewing nuclear power simply as a construction project will not fully reflect the nature of this field. Behind a nuclear power plant is not just a reactor, turbine or equipment systems, but a whole set of scientific - technological, management and supporting industry capabilities, including physics nuclear, precision mechanics, automation, materials, radiation safety, project management, quality management, regulations and human resource training.Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM - Ministry of Science and Technology) said that nuclear power should be recognized as an industry with a very long life cycle. Nuclear power is a 100-year project, he emphasized. According to Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, a plant can operate for decades, so decisions made from the initial preparation stage will have a long-term impact on economic efficiency, safety levels and the ability to master technology later. Unlike many other industrial projects, nuclear power cannot apply the deploy and adjust approach after operation. Requirements for design, technology selection, human training, and capacity building of management agencies must be carefully prepared from the beginning. That is also the reason why many countries spend more than a decade in the preparation phase before pouring the first batch of concrete. That time is not to wait, but to build foundations that cannot be overcome later with ad hoc solutions. In nuclear power, there are decisions that can only be made right from the beginning, because when the plant is put into operation, many options will no longer have the opportunity to be repaired. Safety is the reason why every step must be cautious. One of the factors that determine the progress of a nuclear power program is the requirement to ensure safety. Unlike many other types of energy, nuclear power is monitored by a system of strict standards and regulations at all stages, from location selection, to design. design, construction, operation and termination of the plant. After each major nuclear incident in the world, safety standards continue to be reviewed, supplemented and raised to a higher level. Countries gia not only evaluates new projects but also regularly reviews and upgrades the safety of currently operating plants. According to experts, incidents such as Chernobyl or Fukushima each have their own causes, but show important lessons about human factors, management processes and full assessment of risks.Dr. Tran Chi Thanh said that with Generation III+ (Gen 3+) reactors, technology has made many improvements, especially in improving the ability to prevent and control incidents, reducing the risk of affecting humans and the environment. However, no matter how modern the technology is, it needs to be carefully evaluated when taking into account the specific conditions of each country, from construction site, natural conditions, environment to
