Vietnam must not only train enough personnel for future nuclear power plants but also build the core capabilities needed across the entire national nuclear ecosystem, ensuring every link in the system is fit for purpose and staffed by appropriately qualified human resources, said insiders.
Nguyen Tuan Khai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said while nuclear power is often associated only with plant operators, a nuclear power programme in fact requires the participation of a much broader workforce, including research institutions, state regulatory agencies, domestic and international technical support teams, training institutions, and authorities in the localities where the project is implemented.
Developing nuclear power therefore requires a comprehensive ecosystem in which every component is supported by highly skilled personnel. Given this, the challenge is not limited to preparing operators for future plants but also to strengthening the country's overall nuclear capabilities, a goal Vietnam identified early in its preparations for nuclear power development.
Vietnam had previously invested in workforce training during the preparation for the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project before 2016, when Vietnam Electricity (EVN) sent around 400 staff members to Russia and Japan for training in nuclear technology, and plant operation and management.
However, Tran Chi Thanh, Director of VINATOM, said nuclear power is among the world's most technologically complex and safety-critical industries, requiring multidisciplinary expertise spanning nuclear science, engineering, technology and stringent safety standards.
Building a core operating workforce typically takes at least a decade of education and practical experience, he said, noting that personnel must acquire broad knowledge in nuclear and reactor physics, electrical engineering, automation, materials science, thermodynamics, chemistry, as well as plant design, operation and economic evaluation.
Energy experts said nuclear power development should be viewed as a long-term national capability-building process, requiring interdisciplinary expertise, practical experience and a strong safety culture.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) likewise recommends treating nuclear power development as a national programme rather than a single construction project. Such a programme encompasses legislation, a regulatory system, research capacity, technical infrastructure, human resources and safety arrangements throughout the entire nuclear power lifecycle.
Alongside plans to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project, Vietnam has introduced some special policies and mechanisms and approved a national human resources training programme serving nuclear power development through 2035.
However, restarting the nuclear power programme also requires strengthening the State's regulatory capacity, with improving the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Ministry of Science and Technology regarded as a key priority, laying the institutional foundation for the country’s nuclear power development programme in the time to come.
The agency is responsible for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, but its current organisational structure has yet to meet specialised requirements for regulating nuclear power plants.
To address this issue, the Government has approved a plan to strengthen the capabilities of the agency through 2035, aiming to develop it into a fully empowered national nuclear regulatory authority with the legal mandate, resources, and technical capacity to effectively carry out state management of radiation safety, nuclear safety, and nuclear security.
Experts said Vietnam's parallel efforts to strengthen investment, workforce development and regulatory capacity demonstrate that nuclear power is being pursued as a long-term national programme extending far beyond plant construction, covering operation, lifetime extension, decommissioning and spent fuel management./.
