Recently, with the visit of Russian President Putin, Hanoi has welcomed new opportunities for cooperation. According to the General Manager of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, Likhachev, Russia has offered to help Vietnam develop nuclear power plants, and the two sides have had in-depth discussions on future cooperation in the field of nuclear power.

On June 24th, Likhachev held a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chiang in Hanoi. During the meeting, Fan Mingzheng stated that although Vietnam has not yet resumed plans for large-scale development of nuclear power, nuclear energy, as an important part of achieving its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, still receives attention from the Vietnamese government. He emphasized that Vietnam is willing to strengthen cooperation with Russia in the field of nuclear science and technology, and jointly promote the development of nuclear power industry between the two countries.

Likhachev responded that Rosatom, the Russian state atomic energy company, has been committed to providing high-quality nuclear power technology and services. He expressed that the Russian side is willing to continue deepening bilateral cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the fields of nuclear science research, wind power, etc., and promised to provide talent training and technical support for Vietnam.

According to Likhachev, during the meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation offered multiple cooperation options to the Vietnamese side. Rosatom not only offers high-power nuclear power plants, but also launches land-based and floating versions of low-power nuclear power plants to meet the needs of different customers.

It is worth mentioning that Vietnam abandoned plans to build two nuclear power plants in 2016 due to the Fukushima nuclear accident and budget constraints. However, with the increasingly severe global climate change, Vietnam has begun to reassess the position of nuclear power in its energy structure. The cooperation plan proposed by Russia undoubtedly brings new hope for the development of Vietnam's nuclear power industry.

In recent years, the interest of Southeast Asian countries in nuclear energy has gradually increased. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries have successively formulated nuclear power development plans, hoping to use nuclear energy to break away from dependence on coal and natural gas. Singapore also plans to train nuclear safety experts to reserve talent for future nuclear power projects.

However, the development of nuclear power projects has not been smooth sailing. Various factors such as technology, economy, and politics may become bottlenecks that restrict the development of nuclear power projects. Especially for small modular reactor technology, which is still in its early stages, its economic benefits and safety still need further verification.

Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of various countries for nuclear power has not diminished. With the increasing global demand for clean energy, nuclear power, as a stable and reliable source of energy, will continue to play an important role in the global energy structure.