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Nuclear power plant: The cheapest does not always mean the best
Low cost will not be the only factor Vietnam will consider when selecting contractors for its first nuclear power plant, said Ta Van Huong, Energy Department Director under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in an interview with VietNamNet.
VietNamNet: Nuclear power production cost has increased sharply. Do you think that this will affect the efficiency of the project?
Ta Van Huong: The energy situation in the world has become quite different from a year ago. Previously, we estimated an investment rate of $1.500 -1,700 per KWH. Now, the rate has surged to $3,000, which means that 1,000 MW of nuclear power will cost some three or four billion dollars.
However, this should be weighed up alongside coal-run and oil-run thermo power plants which have also been increasing. The investment rate of coal run power plants, for example has increased by 50 percent
VietNamNet: With such a high investment rate what will the cost be?
Ta Van Huong: Investors will have to think about it and the Government will have to accept paying a higher price to purchase electricity from nuclear power plants.
Nuclear power will be competitive if we remember that we will have to import coal from 2012. Meanwhile, the first electricity generation unit of the nuclear power plant will be operational in 2020. By that time, nuclear power will be no more expensive than thermo power.
VietNamNet: In the future, thermo power will account for a big proportion in the electricity structure. Besides, we will also have nuclear power. What will be the electricity price like?
Ta Van Huong: In the future, the electricity price will be higher than now. It is inevitable. However, the electricity price increases should be controlled so as to avoid to put heavy burden on people.
VietNamNet: Some scientists have suggested to have 1,000 MW of nuclear power first instead of making heavy investment at once to get 4,000 MW. What would you say about that?
Ta Van Huong: If we make the investment step by step, the investment efficiency wil be low
VietNamNet: Do you think that we should choose the contractor who offers the lowest price?
Ta Van Huong: A lot of foreign partners have expressed willing to become project contractors of the project. We have had interest from Japan, South Korea, Russia, the US and China.
Chinese contractors always have an advantage because they offer low prices. However, I think that nuclear power plant is a different story. Low investment prices will not be the only factor Vietnam needs to consider. We need to consider many other factors, including management culture as well.
VietNamNet: The Japanese contractor has promised to help Vietnam seek capital for the nuclear power plant. Has the Chinese contractor mentioned this?
Ta Van Huong: In the meetings with us, Chinese contractors also said they would help us arrange capital. And so did the partners from Russia and Japan.
I myself think that the promise to help Vietnam arrange capital should be seen as one of the requirements. Meanwhile, experience and safe technology will be the most important factors.
Pham Huyen
vietnamnet
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