Vietnam, Japan sign cooperation deal

A signing ceremony for the contract on consultation services for Vietnam's Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant 2 was held here on Wednesday by the Electricity of Vietnam ( EVN) and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), reported Vietnam News Agency. Under the contract, JAPC will provide consultation services for the making of files for approval of the location where Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant 2 will be built, and of the feasible project for investment in the plant, within 18 months. Total cost for consultation services of about two billion Yen (26 million U.S. dollars) will come from the Japanese government and be disbursed through the Japanese ministry of economy, trade and industry. Japan is an important partner of EVN. So far Japan's official development assistance (ODA) to EVN's projects has reached 420 billion Yen (5.46 billion U.S. dollars). Particularly in atomic power, over the past 15 years Japan has actively helped Vietnam in various categories of work, including information updating, human resource training, public relations, consultants and investors, EVN General Director Pham Le Thanh addressed at the signing ceremony. According to EVN report, Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant 2 is part of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project, with EVN as the main investor and Ninh Thuan nuclear power project's management board and EVN as the project co-managers. It is Vietnam's first nuclear power plant built in lines with the country's power development strategy for 2011-2020 and visions to 2030 that has been approved by the Vietnamese 12th National Assembly. The Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant 2, with a designed capacity of 2,000 MW and two groups of turbines, will be built in Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province, with state-of-the- art technologies that ensures complete safety and economic efficiency. Its operation will contribute to the country's demand of power for socio-economic development, enhancement of the national power security, and for scientific and technical development in atomic energy, Thanh said.