(Bloomberg) -- Vietnam’s parliament is weighing a government proposal to include nuclear in the nation’s power development plan to ensure energy security and cut emissions, VnExpress news website reported.
The plan would establish a state monopoly to oversee investments in nuclear power plants, as well as their construction and operation, according to VnExpress, which cited a government proposal presented to the National Assembly by Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien. Nuclear power projects are important for national energy security, Dien said.
Parliament will discuss and vote on the proposal next month.
The move comes as nuclear energy sees a wave of renewed interest globally as a power source that can help achieve green targets and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Read: Vietnam Spurns Coal as Southeast Asia Aims to Kick Dirty Habit
Earlier this year, the government directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to study nuclear power development in other countries.
The proposal would revive Vietnam’s earlier efforts to develop atomic energy, which had to be scrapped in 2016 due to high construction costs and safety concerns. The National Assembly’s Economic Committee in 2022 said it was necessary for the country to consider nuclear power to reach its net zero emissions goal by 2050.
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