Russia in talks with Vietnam for $15 billion nuclear deal

Russia is in talks with Vietnam to build four nuclear reactors for as much as US$15 billion as the latter plans its first atomic power plant, the head of Russia’s state nuclear company said.

A delegation has just returned from Vietnam, Sergei Kiriyenko, Chief Executive Officer of Rosatom Corp., told reporters in Moscow Tuesday.

Vietnam has been considering since at least 2002 how to begin commercial nuclear power production, with its latest plan calling for a capacity of 2,000 megawatts by 2020. Russia is expanding its global ties in the industry and is fulfilling contracts with countries including China and India.

Jordan is also looking for companies to bid for a contract to build two reactors, said Kiriyenko, who did not give a time frame for the potential Vietnamese deal. Rosatom is also prepared to build a plant to produce nuclear fuel in Ukraine in return for long-term supply contracts, he said.

A plan to build 26 reactors in Russia would probably be delayed by two to three years, Kiriyenko said. The program should be completed by 2023 “at the latest,” said the former Prime Minister.

thanhnien, bloomberg

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