State media in Vietnam report that Hanoi is delaying construction by a Russian firm of the country's first nuclear power plant amid concerns about safety and efficiency.
Vietnam awarded the contract to Atomstroieksport, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear energy firm Rosatom, to build the plant in Ninh Thuan Province.
With Russia guaranteeing an $8 billion loan for the project, construction was scheduled to begin in 2014.
But Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on January 16 that construction was likely to be postponed until 2020 to "ensure the highest safety and efficiency standards."
Vietnam has outlined plans to build seven nuclear power plants by 2030.
But authorities have expressed concerns about nuclear technology since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.
Vietnam awarded the contract to Atomstroieksport, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear energy firm Rosatom, to build the plant in Ninh Thuan Province.
With Russia guaranteeing an $8 billion loan for the project, construction was scheduled to begin in 2014.
But Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on January 16 that construction was likely to be postponed until 2020 to "ensure the highest safety and efficiency standards."
Vietnam has outlined plans to build seven nuclear power plants by 2030.
But authorities have expressed concerns about nuclear technology since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.