Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has officially announced the launch of the resettlement and site clearance project for the Ninh Thuan 1 NPP. He commended ministries, agencies, and Khanh Hoa province for working hard to clear institutional and regulatory obstacles and speed up project progress.
In November 2024, the 13th Party Central Committee had agreed to restart the Ninh Thuận projects which were initially approved by the 12th National Assembly in 2009, but suspended in 2016. The Ninh Thuận 1 NPP project was a collaboration with Russia, which had completed and handed over the site approval documents and the English version of the feasibility study report at the end of December 2013. The Ninh Thuận 2 NPP project was a joint effort with Japan, which had completed and handed over the site approval documents and feasibility study report in 2014.
Both projects had previously completed feasibility studies by design consultants, but had not been approved. While collaboration with Russia on Ninh Thuận 1 has continued, Japan has formally pulled out of Ninh Thuận 2, opening the way for other technology suppliers.
Son called on investors and relevant units to fast-track construction of Ninh Thuận 1 while ensuring safety, quality, efficiency and environmental protection. He underscored the importance of stronger decentralisation and delegation of authority accompanied by adequate resource allocation and tighter oversight. He stressed that the project must balance the interests of the State, the people and businesses, while strictly preventing corruption, malpractice, wastefulness and losses of public assets.
According to the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee, the project carries a total investment of about VND 6,700bn ($255m). Of the total, approximately VND5,280bn is earmarked for compensation and site clearance, around VND 1,150bn for construction and equipment, and nearly VND287bn for project management, consultancy, other expenses and contingencies.
The project will develop a new residential area with synchronised technical and social infrastructure to secure stable livelihoods and living conditions for communities affected by the project. Spanning about 89.71 hectares, it comprises a 65.62 hectare resettlement zone, a 14.24 hectare fishing boat anchorage, and a 9.85 hectare cemetery.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Trinh Minh Hoang, said the province will direct departments, sectors, the provincial construction investment project management board and local authorities to accelerate the development of social and technical infrastructure in resettlement areas, while ensuring quality and aesthetics to help residents quickly stabilise their lives.
Hoang added that the province has set up a provincial steering committee and a support task force for the nuclear power project, issued operational regulations and rolled out implementation plans. So far, localities have largely completed land origin verification and publicised compensation plans, with site clearance expected to be finished during January.
Son subsequently led a Government delegation to work with the south-central province of Khánh Hòa’s key leaders to review the implementation of the Ninh Thuận 1 project and discuss solutions to address outstanding difficulties and bottlenecks related to the project.
Trịnh Minh Hoàng stated that for Ninh Thuận 1 the total land area to be acquired is 449.37 hectares, including a core zone of 277 hectares and a buffer zone of 132 hectares. To date, the province has completed 100% of land inventory work and finalised the identification of land origins, and is currently publicising information on land origins and land-use timelines. A particularly encouraging sign, he noted, is the strong consensus among local residents regarding the project.
Son emphasised that the National Assembly and the Government have issued numerous decisions on compensation, site clearance, and resettlement, while adjusting mechanisms and policies in line with practical realities to ensure the project’s effectiveness. He requested the Ministry of Finance to review funding requirements, noting that, based on assessments, Ninh Thuận 1 and 2 would require more than VNĐ13,000bn in total.
Therefore, once the February 2025 National Assembly’s Resolution (189/2025/QH15) on special mechanisms and policies for investment in the Ninh Thuan project is revised and supplemented, the ministry should advance funds from contingency reserves to fully allocate resources to the locality, ensuring that site clearance can be completed and clean land handed over for the project within the first quarter of 2026.
