VietNamNet Bridge - Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) came yesterday to Vietnam to help the country improve its nuclear power infrastructure, in order to prepare for the country’s first nuclear power plant.


Workers make topographic survey drilling at the site to build the first nuclear power plant
 in Ninh Thuan Province.


Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Atomic Energy Agency, said development of nuclear power infrastructure is an important issue with many difficulties and challenges, especially for the countries that just starts the nuclear power program as Vietnam, due to lack of experience and highly qualified experts.

At the meeting yesterday morning, Mr. Park Jong Kyun, director of IAEA nuclear department confirmed that IAEA comes to Vietnam to consider and assess the current state of the process of preparation to build a nuclear power program in Vietnam, then make recommendations.

"In 2009, we also sent a delegation to study the infrastructure program in Vietnam. I saw that Vietnam has made much progress since that date. Hopefully in the future, you will follow our recommendations to get better results," he said.

The process of development of nuclear power infrastructure, according to IAEA, consists of three phases.

Phase 1 consists of the review before making a decision on the nuclear program, known as the pre-project phase, which ends when the country is committed to a nuclear power program.

Phase 2 includes the preparation of all aspects for the construction of nuclear power plants, feasibility studies, opening tenders and starting the construction of the plant.

Phase 3 consists of the construction activity and it ends when the first nuclear power plant is put into operation.

According to the criteria of IAEA, Vietnam is now in the second stage of the development of nuclear power infrastructure.

Tuan said Vietnam has made significant progress in some areas of the infrastructure development process, such as the national availability and consent of the people.

"But there are still a number of other important contents where Vietnam does not meet the requirements of the IAEA. It is the lack of experts, legal system and location assessment. We are actively improving these issues," Tuan said.

Tuan hoped that the IAEA will join Vietnam to make an assessment of each of the issues related to nuclear power infrastructure.

The IAEA team will work in Vietnam until December 14.

Compiled by Nam Nguyen