"Vietnam’s race to go nuclear leaves villagers in limbo", 22 April 2026

… The government is preparing to relocate 477 households with about 2,000 people to a new settlement around 5 km north of the village…

Construction had been scheduled to begin in 2014 with operations expected by 2020. The project was to be led by state-owned company Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) in partnership with Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom. In 2016, due to fiscal pressures, the National Assembly voted to indefinitely shelve the nuclear programme. For families of Vinh Tuong, the seven years from 2009 to 2016 were filled with confusion and a sense of stagnation…

Now, nearly a decade later, that reality has returned. This time, however, displacement is close to a certainty, with Vietnam’s growing energy demands fuelling Hanoi’s renewed commitment to getting the nuclear project off the ground.

… According to Rosatom’s press release, the agreement covers cooperation on building two power units with a combined capacity of 2.5 GW to form Ninh Thuan 1.

Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, told Dialogue Earth the revival carries “strong personal imprint of Party chief To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh”, suggesting a political spirit behind this nuclear push.

… Vietnam’s government aims for Ninh Thuan 1 to be operational by the end of 2031, to coincide with the centenary of the Communist Party. “Working during the day is not enough, we need to work at night,” Prime Minister Chinh told the nuclear steering committee in January 2026.

Experts say the schedule is unrealistic…

Residents are frustrated that over a year after Vietnam’s nuclear revival, the government has yet to put forward a compensation proposal they can agree to. Villagers say the assurances of land and infrastructure at the new settlement won’t help them pay for the costs of rebuilding homes and lives…

Livelihood is another concern…