HANOI, May 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnam has stepped up preparation
for building its first commercial nuclear power plant.
   The Vietnamese government has recently approved a feasibility
study of the nuclear power plant in the country's central region,
according to a report of the local daily Vietnam News (VNS) on
Tuesday.
   According to studies by the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute and
Ministry of Industry, the plant optimally would have a capacity of
1,200-1,400 megawatt. It could begin supplying electricity to the
national power network as early as 2017
   Currently, local scientists are evaluating 20 possible
construction locations within the central coast region, with a
heavy focus on safe and economical criteria.
   Six localities have been short listed so far, including two
sites in provinces of Quang Binh and Phu Yen, two in Binh Thuan
province, and other two in Ninh Thuan province.   
   VNS claims that nuclear energy is not a foreign concept to
Vietnam, since the country has safely and effectively operated a
nuclear facility in Da Lat in the country's central highlands (Tay
Nguyen) for the past 20 years, albeit for research purposes. 
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