Vietnam to build new nuclear plants

HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade announced plans to build two nuclear power plants.

The two plants will be built in the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan and are expected to be operational sometime between 2020 and 2022, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

The announcement was made in Hanoi at an international forum on nuclear power.

Vietnam has resolved to focus on nuclear power in the face of diminishing oil reserves and increasing concern over emissions and global climate change.

An official from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomas Mazour, said Vietnam is in fact ready for nuclear power.

To generate nuclear power by 2020, construction will have to begin by 2015. It also usually takes between 10 and 15 years to choose and train staff, so Vietnamese leaders said work must begin right away.