How the RCF can be beneficial for Vietnam

1. How the RCF can be beneficial for Vietnam Le Chi Dung, VARANS, Vietnam RCF Plenary, 24/9/2010

2. Contents Nuclear Power Development Policy of Vietnam Regulatory Needs for the first NPP Current Status and Gaps to be filled Conclusions

3. Nuclear Power Development Policy of Vietnam State Commitments June 3, 2008, National Assembly (Parliament) approved the Law on Atomic Energy (the comprehensive law on nuclear) November 25, 2009: NA approved the project to invest for the first NPP in Ninh Thuan Province May 4, 2010, Prime-Minister issued decision No 580/QD-TTg to establish the State Steering Committee on NPP Ninh Thuan in the head of Vice-PM (NEPIO) And so on…

4. Nuclear Power Development Policy of Vietnam (cont’) Decision No. 906/QD-TTg dated June 17, 2010 approving NP Development Policy 2015: FS approval, site approval, vendor and contract approval for the NPP Ninh Thuan 1 (2 units) 2020: commissioning of the first unit of the NPP Ninh Thuan 1 2015: FS approval, site approval, vendor and contract approval for the NPP Ninh Thuan 2 (2 units) 2021: commissioning of the second unit of the NPP Ninh Thuan 1

5. Nuclear Power Development Policy of Vietnam (cont’) Decision No. 906/QD-TTg … 2025:total capacity of NPP ~8,000 MW (i.e. ~7% electricity sources) 2030:total capacity of NPP ~15,000 MW (i.e. ~10% electricity sources) Preparation for 8 sites in the Middle of Vietnam, on each can be built 4-6 units EVN is investor of the NPP Ninh Thuan 1 and 2 Investors of other NPP will be approved – There may be National or Joint-Venture Companies

6. Regulatory Needs for the first NPP Regulatory framework development Based on IAEA guidelines and experiences of the nuclear developed countries (US, Russia, France, Korea, etc.), VARANS is planning to formulate about 100 regulatory documents up to 2014 when VN starts construction of the first NPP. VARANS is contact point for Vietnam in implementation of international treaties and conventions in nuclear such as NPT, SA, Convention on Nuclear Safety, etc. VARANS is standing body for Vietnam in studying for participation in other international treaties and conventions in nuclear such as Joint Convention, Convention on Physical Protection, Convention on Nuclear Liability, etc.

7. Regulatory Needs for the first NPP (cont’) Human resource development VARANS needs 50 staff members to be involved in regulatory document development and 60 staff members to be trained for participation in nuclear safety assessment for site approval (in 2012), construction permit (in 2014) and construction oversight (from 2015). VARANS needs another 170 staff members for carrying out activities in safeguards, nuclear security, radiation protection (assessment, licensing, inspection and enforcement for/in radiation application).

8. Current Status and Gaps to be filled Regulatory framework development Planning: 100 documents in 5 years Capability: 4-5 documents per year What’s we need? - The follows are examples NRC (US) helps in development so called ‘generic’ documents on siting requirements and design requirements, and VARANS develops ‘specific’ documents NRC helps in organization of review meetings

9. Current Status and Gaps to be filled (cont’) Human resource development Planning: 280 experienced staff members Capability: Recruitment: 2005: 8 members, 2010 (Sep 24): 80 members. Training: very few experienced members retire soon; almost all members are young graduates (under 30 ages); universities do not have good conditions for training (no teachers, no equipments and no training materials) What’s we need? – We need long-term training and the follows are examples France helps in training 3 members Korea helps in training 1 member

10. Conclusions Vietnam has big gaps between needs and capabilities Regulatory bodies of nuclear developed countries are ready to help Vietnam, but single country may have own difficulty to meet so big requirements of Vietnam It’s why the RCF with the objectives such as (a) Identify and share relevant regulatory requirements and the gaps in capacity building and infrastructure development in the recipient Member States; and (b) Promote coordination and collaboration among the RCF Member States to accept these requirements and fill these gaps; hope can be beneficial for Vietnam.