Vietnam is returning to nuclear energy with a concrete agreement. In March 2026, during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh‘s official visit to Moscow, Vietnam and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant. The deal was signed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Minister Tran Van Son, in the presence of both countries’ heads of government. The two nations described the plant as a “landmark project” of their bilateral friendship.
The plan calls for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors with a combined capacity of approximately 2,400 MW, with the Leningrad II plant serving as the reference design. The technology is developed by Rosatom and is considered among the most advanced pressurised water reactor designs available today. The agreement sets out the key terms and areas of cooperation between the parties for the entire duration of the project, from design through to commissioning. Hanoi’s stated goal is to have the first unit operational by 2031 and the second between 2036 and 2040.
The road to this agreement has been a long one. Vietnam had originally planned the two plants back in 2009, but in 2016 the National Assembly rejected the project on cost grounds. The revival came in December 2024, when lawmakers called on the government to reactivate the nuclear programme. In January 2025, Rosatom and state utility EVN signed an initial memorandum of understanding. In May 2025, during General Secretary To Lam‘s visit to Moscow, the two countries agreed to accelerate negotiations towards signing intergovernmental agreements. In September of the same year, engineering firm PECC2 signed an agreement with Rosatom to update the feasibility study for Ninh Thuan 1. The March 2026 agreement is the outcome of this step-by-step progression.
The energy context explains the decision. In April 2025, Vietnam approved an updated version of its national energy development plan, committing $136 billion by 2030 to strengthen long-term energy security — including nuclear power among its planned sources for the first time. The country is also exploring next-generation technologies, including small modular reactors, as a complement to large-scale plants. The cooperation with Russia runs alongside parallel negotiations with other partners: South Korea, through KEPCO, has signed a memorandum with PetroVietnam on capacity building related to Ninh Thuan 2, while Hanoi has also opened talks with Japan on advanced nuclear technology.
The agreement also has a scientific dimension. Rosatom is working with Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology on the construction of a Nuclear Science and Technology Centre in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, which will include a 15 MW research reactor and a laboratory complex. Rosatom and the ministry signed a joint roadmap in May 2025 running through 2030, covering personnel training, fuel supply for the Da Lat research reactor, and Vietnamese participation in the international MBIR reactor consortium. Alongside the industrial project, Vietnam is thus building the in-house expertise needed to sustainably manage a national nuclear programme over time.
