Circular No. 60/2025/TT-BKHCN on the contents of safety analysis reports and safety assessment reports for nuclear power plants

CIRCULAR
Regulations on the contents of safety analysis reports and safety assessment reports for nuclear power plants

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Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Law No. 94/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to Decree No. 316/2025/NĐ-CP dated December 10, 2025 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures to implement the Atomic Energy Law regarding nuclear power plants and research reactors;

Pursuant to Decree No. 55/2025/NĐ-CP dated March 2, 2025 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

At the proposal of the Director of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Administration and the Head of the Legal Department;

The Minister of Science and Technology promulgates this Circular stipulating the contents of safety analysis reports and safety assessment reports for nuclear power plants.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Thông tư này quy định chi tiết khoản 4 Điều 38 Luật Thủy sản số 18/2017/QH14 đã được sửa đổi, bổ sung tại điểm c khoản 21 Điều 14 Luật số 146/2025/QH15.

This Circular details certain provisions of Decree No. 316/2025/NĐ-CP dated December 10, 2025 of the Government detailing certain provisions and measures to implement the Atomic Energy Law regarding nuclear power plants and research reactors (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 316/2025/NĐ-CP), including:

a) The contents of the safety analysis report in the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant, the application dossier for issuance of construction permits for the nuclear power plant, trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, and operation permit for the nuclear power plant as prescribed in Clause 7, Article 9 of Decree No. 316/2025/NĐ-CP;

b) The contents of the safety assessment report in the application dossier for issuance of the decommissioning permit for the nuclear power plant as prescribed in Clause 9, Article 44 of Decree No. 316/2025/NĐ-CP.

Thông tư này áp dụng đối với tổ chức, cá nhân có liên quan đến hoạt động kinh doanh đối tượng thủy sản nuôi chủ lực trên lãnh thổ Việt Nam.

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to the preparation, review of safety analysis reports in the application dossier for approval of the construction site, the application dossier for issuance of construction permits for the nuclear power plant, trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, and operation permit for the nuclear power plant using water-cooled technology; safety assessment reports in the application dossier for issuance of the decommissioning permit for the nuclear power plant.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Source term is a set of parameters characterizing the quantity, activity, and isotopic composition of radioactive materials released (or assumed to be released) from the nuclear power plant, used to establish models for calculating the release of radioactive materials from the nuclear power plant into the environment.

2. Operating Limits and Conditions (OLC) include operational states in the design basis that ensure not exceeding permissible risk levels to the health and safety of workers and the public around the nuclear power plant.

3. Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is the application of factors affecting human performance and safety, particularly in the design and operation of nuclear power plants.

Article 3. Contents of the safety analysis report in the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant, the application dossier for issuance of construction permits for the nuclear power plant, trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, and operation permit for the nuclear power plant

1. General requirements for the contents of the safety analysis report

a) The safety analysis report must be prepared, reviewed, and updated to ensure consistency of the safety analysis reports throughout the lifecycle of the nuclear power plant;

b) The safety analysis report must include all contents as prescribed in Clause 2 of this Article. In cases where the safety analysis report uses guidelines provided by the technology supplier country and has different content and layout compared to the provisions in Appendix I of this Circular, the Project Investor and Operating Organization must: ensure providing complete information corresponding to the contents prescribed in Appendix I of this Circular; clearly explain the correspondence between the contents of the safety analysis report and the contents prescribed in Appendix I of this Circular;

c) The safety analysis report in the application dossier for issuance of construction permits for the nuclear power plant, trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, and operation permit for the nuclear power plant must be fully updated, supplemented, and adjusted with information if there are changes compared to the safety analysis report in the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant and the approved dossiers at the immediately preceding stage; while providing a full explanation for the reasons for updating, supplementing, and adjusting;

d) The safety analysis report must reflect all necessary information about the nuclear power plant at each specific stage, with the level of detail corresponding to the requirements of the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant or the application dossier for issuance of construction permits for the nuclear power plant, trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, and operation permit for the nuclear power plant, complying with the relevant provisions in Clauses 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this Article;

đ) For contents dependent on technology selection, detailed design, or operational experience, the safety analysis report in the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant may use reference designs or anticipated technology options, accompanied by explanations and commitments from the Project Investor and Operating Organization to update when detailed designs are available.

2. Contents of the safety analysis report

The safety analysis report must be developed and presented according to the detailed contents prescribed in Appendix 1 of this Circular. The main contents of the safety analysis report include:

a) Content 1: General introduction;

b) Content 2: Site characteristics;

c) Content 3: Safety objectives and design principles;

d) Content 4: Reactors;

đ) Content 5: Reactor cooling systems and auxiliary systems;

e) Content 6: Technical safety systems;

g) Content 7: Measurement and control systems;

h) Content 8: Power supply;

i) Content 9: Auxiliary systems and structures;

k) Content 10: Steam and energy conversion systems;

l) Content 11: Radioactive waste management;

m) Content 12: Radiation protection;

n) Content 13: Operation of the nuclear power plant;

o) Content 14: Construction and trial operation of the nuclear power plant;

p) Content 15: Safety analysis;

q) Content 16: Operating limits and conditions;

r) Content 17: Safety management;

s) Content 18: Human factors;

t) Content 19: Emergency preparedness and response;

u) Content 20: Environmental aspects;

v) Content 21: Decommissioning.

3. Safety analysis report in the application dossier for approval of the construction site of the nuclear power plant

The safety analysis report in the application for approval of the nuclear power plant construction site must provide the following information:

a) General information and introduction to the nuclear power plant (corresponding to the general information in Section 1. General Introduction of Appendix I of this Circular);

b) Detailed and up-to-date information about the characteristics of the nuclear power plant site, including: geological, seismic, volcanic, hydrological, meteorological, and geotechnical information of the construction site and surrounding areas; information on external human-caused risk characteristics; radiation dispersion characteristics of the site and surrounding environment; current and projected population distribution and land use related to the design and safe operation of the plant (corresponding to detailed information in Section 2 of Appendix I of this Circular);

c) General information on design, safety objectives, and design principles of the nuclear power plant presented based on the proposed technological scheme or reference design, including: overall safety design basis; common mechanical component design aspects; inspection, oversight, maintenance, and repair orientation; expected compliance with national technical standards and relevant international standards (corresponding to general information in Section 3 of Appendix I of this Circular);

d) Preliminary information on the reactor, reactor cooling system, auxiliary systems, technical safety systems, measurement and control systems, power supply, auxiliary structures, steam and energy conversion systems, radioactive waste management, radiation protection, plant operation, construction and trial operation of the nuclear power plant, safety analysis, operational limits and conditions for safe operation, safety management, and human factors (corresponding to preliminary information in Sections 4 to 18 of Appendix I of this Circular);

đ) General information on emergency response plans; preparedness for emergency response in case of incidents, necessary actions to protect the public, radiation workers, and ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant, including: contents of the emergency response plan; information on internal and external emergency response centers at the nuclear power plant site; hypothetical accident scenarios causing radioactive release and predicted consequences; planned training and drill methods (corresponding to general information in Section 19 of Appendix I of this Circular);

e) Preliminary information on the methodology for evaluating environmental aspects (corresponding to preliminary information in Section 20 of Appendix I of this Circular);

g) Preliminary information on the decommissioning phase during the lifecycle of the nuclear power plant, including: methods to minimize radiation exposure during dismantling; planned radiological survey program, including subsurface soil surveys, storage and drainage systems in the area, and groundwater systems; methods to record survey data during dismantling and store residual radiation records (corresponding to preliminary information in Section 21 of Appendix I of this Circular);

4. Safety Analysis Report in the Application for Construction Permit of Nuclear Power Plant

The safety analysis report in the application for a construction permit of a nuclear power plant must include detailed technical information and calculation results to evaluate and demonstrate that the plant can be constructed, tested, operated, and decommissioned safely throughout its design life. Safety features integrated into the design must be described, fully considering the characteristics of the nuclear power plant construction site. This safety analysis report must provide the following information:

a) General information introducing the nuclear power plant, updated from the safety analysis report in the application for approval of the nuclear power plant construction site (corresponding to general information in Section 1 of Appendix I of this Circular);

b) Detailed and verified information about the characteristics of the nuclear power plant construction site, updated from the safety analysis report in the application for approval of the nuclear power plant construction site (corresponding to detailed and verified information in Section 2 of Appendix I of this Circular);

c) Detailed information on design principles, requirements, standards applicable to various structures, systems, and components (items), methods applied to meet the safety objectives of the nuclear power plant for the selected reactor type (corresponding to detailed information in Section 3 of Appendix I of this Circular);

d) Detailed information on the reactor, items related to reactor operation, the reactor's ability to perform safety functions throughout its lifecycle, in all operating states of the nuclear power plant (corresponding to detailed information in Section 4 of Appendix I of this Circular);

đ) Detailed information on the reactor cooling system and auxiliary systems, items related to cooling system operation, ensuring the reactor cooling system and auxiliary systems have the capability to maintain structural integrity in operating states and under accident conditions for unaffected items (corresponding to detailed information in Section 5 of Appendix I of this Circular);

e) Detailed information on safety features and related safety systems, including: items performing safety functions under accident conditions in the design basis, extended design conditions (including extended design conditions considering core melt), and anticipated operational situations (corresponding to detailed information in Section 6 of Appendix I of this Circular);

g) Detailed information on measurement and control systems, including: information on measurement devices, equipment necessary for normal operation and emergency conditions of the nuclear power plant; descriptions of measurement and control systems and components to demonstrate their compliance with design functions throughout the lifecycle of the nuclear power plant (corresponding to detailed information in Content 7 of Appendix I of this Circular);

h) Detailed information describing independent power supply systems, including: emergency power supply system, explanations for ensuring power supply capability in anticipated operational situations and accident conditions in the design basis in case of external power loss; design characteristics and classification of off-site power systems, on-site power systems, backup power systems, and alternative AC and DC power systems; power systems for important safety systems during operation and accident conditions; operation modes of backup power systems (corresponding to detailed information in Content 8 of Appendix I of this Circular);

i) Detailed information describing auxiliary systems, including support systems for reactor shutdown and safety assurance; information on the structural construction of the nuclear power plant (corresponding to detailed information in Content 9 of Appendix I of this Circular);

k) Detailed information describing the design and operating principles of steam and energy conversion systems that affect the reactor and safety functions or contribute to the control of radioactive materials (corresponding to detailed information in Content 10 of Appendix I of this Circular);

l) Detailed information describing: measures for managing radioactive waste throughout the lifecycle of the nuclear power plant to minimize waste, treat radioactive waste, and radioactive waste management programs; capabilities for pretreatment, treatment, conditioning, and storage of liquid, gaseous, and solid radioactive waste; types of radioactive waste generated under normal operating conditions (corresponding to detailed information in Content 11 of Appendix I of this Circular);

m) General information on policies, methods, and regulations regarding radiation protection, ensuring that radiation protection has been considered in the design (corresponding to general information in Content 12 of Appendix I of this Circular);

n) General information on operational issues, how the Operating Organization implements operational programs, provisions for providing technically competent and skilled personnel along with nuclear power plant operating procedures (corresponding to general information in Content 13 of Appendix I of this Circular);

o) Detailed information and explanations on the suitability for construction, commissioning, and operation of the nuclear power plant, including key construction phases, initial testing plans, organization and supervision of construction (corresponding to detailed information in Content 14 of Appendix I of this Circular);

p) Detailed information on the implementation of analyses to assess the safety of the nuclear power plant against assumed initiating events and accident scenarios, explanations and confirmation of the design of components that comply with safety requirements (corresponding to detailed information in Content 15 of Appendix I of this Circular);

q) Detailed information on operational limits and conditions (OLC) ensuring compliance with safety requirements (corresponding to detailed information in Content 16 of Appendix I of this Circular);

r) Detailed information on the management of activities related to safety, reflecting the scope and focus of the management system appropriate to the construction phase of the nuclear power plant (corresponding to detailed information in Content 17 of Appendix I of this Circular);

s) Detailed information describing human factors technology and its application in design, including management, analysis, human-machine interface assumptions, verification, and validation activities (corresponding to detailed information in Content 18 of Appendix I of this Circular);

t) Detailed information on preparedness and response to accidents updated from the Safety Analysis Report at the site approval stage; readiness to respond in the event of an accident, necessary actions to protect the public, radiation workers, and ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant (corresponding to detailed information in Content 19 of Appendix I of this Circular);

u) General information on the methods applied to evaluate environmental aspects during construction, operation, and decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, including radiological environmental aspects, updated from the Safety Analysis Report at the site approval stage and referencing specific information in Content 11 on radioactive waste management, Content 12 on radiation protection, and Content 15 on safety analysis (corresponding to general information in Content 20 of Appendix I of this Circular);

v) Preliminary information on the end-of-life phase in the lifecycle of the nuclear power plant including: ways to minimize radiation exposure during decommissioning; expected radiological surveys, including subsurface soil layer surveys, storage and drainage systems in the area, and groundwater systems; methods for recording survey data during decommissioning and storing residual radiation records (corresponding to preliminary information in Content 21 of Appendix I of this Circular);

5. The Safety Analysis Report in the application for a provisional operating license for the nuclear power unit

The Safety Analysis Report in the application for a provisional operating license for the nuclear power unit must be updated from the Safety Analysis Report in the application for a construction permit for the nuclear power plant, prepared before provisional operation, including:

a) Detailed information verified and updated in Contents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15 of Appendix I of this Circular;

b) Update the detailed explanatory information on compliance with requirements in the construction and trial operation program, including verification and validation of the nuclear power plant's performance against the design (update Content 14 Appendix I of this Circular);

c) Update the description and detailed information on verified operating limits and conditions, ensuring that the OLCs are consistent with the final design and confirmed through safety analysis (update Content 16 Appendix I of this Circular);

d) Update the detailed description of the management system, reflecting the scope and focus of the management system appropriate to the trial operation phase (update Content 17 Appendix I of this Circular);

đ) Update the detailed description of human factors technology, including: scope, methods, and results applied to the final design (update Content 18 Appendix I of this Circular);

e) Update the content of preparation and response to incidents, information on facilities for incident response, demonstrating the ability to effectively respond before the operation of the nuclear power plant (update Content 19 Appendix I of this Circular);

g) Update detailed information referenced from Contents 11, 12, 15 of the Safety Analysis Report to comprehensively assess the radiological impact on the environment (update Content 20 Appendix I of this Circular);

h) Update general information about the operational plan and end-of-life aspects, providing a more detailed decommissioning plan for the nuclear power plant than the construction phase (update Content 21 Appendix I of this Circular);

6. The Safety Analysis Report in the application for a license to operate a nuclear power plant

The Safety Analysis Report in the application for a license to operate a nuclear power plant must be updated from the Safety Analysis Report in the application for a trial operation permit for the nuclear power unit, prepared before the operation of the nuclear power plant, including the following contents:

a) Detailed information that has been verified and updated for Contents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 Appendix I of this Circular;

b) Update detailed information and explanation on compliance with requirements in the application for trial operation of the nuclear power plant, reflecting the actual configuration and justifying the final detailed design (update Content 14 Appendix I of this Circular);

c) Update the description and detailed information on verified operating limits and conditions, ensuring that the OLCs are consistent with the final design and confirmed through safety analysis (update Content 16 Appendix I of this Circular);

d) Update the description of detailed information on the management system, reflecting the scope and focus of the management system appropriate to the operational phase (update Content 17 Appendix I of this Circular);

đ) Update the detailed description of human factors technology, including: scope, methods, and results applied to the final design (update Content 18 Appendix I of this Circular);

e) Update the content of preparation and response to incidents, information on facilities for incident response, demonstrating the ability to respond to incidents during the operation of the nuclear power plant (update Content 19 Appendix I of this Circular);

g) Update detailed information referenced from other contents of the Safety Analysis Report (Contents 11, 12, 15) to comprehensively assess the radiological impact on the environment (update Content 20 Appendix I of this Circular);

h) Update general information about the operational plan and end-of-life aspects, providing a more detailed decommissioning plan for the nuclear power plant than the trial operation phase (update Content 21 Appendix I of this Circular);

7. General requirements for describing the design of important safety items and equipment in nuclear power plants as specified in Appendix III of this Circular.

Article 4. Content of the Safety Assessment Report in the Application File for Permit to Cease Operation of Nuclear Power Plant

Clause 1. General Requirements for the Content of the Safety Assessment Report

The Safety Assessment Report in the application file for permit to cease operation of nuclear power plant must provide sufficient information to confirm and prove that the dismantling activities comply with the decommissioning plan and safety regulations applicable to each component of the nuclear power plant during the dismantling process.

Clause 2. Content of the Safety Assessment Report

The Safety Assessment Report must include all contents detailed in Appendix II of this Circular. The main contents of the Safety Assessment Report include:

a) General introduction;

b) Legal basis, objectives, safety requirements and criteria;

c) Description of the facility and dismantling activities;

d) Identification and screening of accident scenarios;

đ) Safety assessment and potential impact assessment;

e) Evaluation of results and determination of control measures;

g) Administrative measures and management programs;

h) Conclusions.

Article 5. General Requirements for Information and Quality in the Safety Analysis Report and Safety Assessment Report

Clause 1. The project investor and the operating organization are responsible for the content and quality of the Safety Analysis Report and the Safety Assessment Report.

Clause 2. Information and statistical data used in the report must clearly state the source of the data, original year, and unit of measurement.

Clause 3. The Safety Analysis Report and the Safety Assessment Report must provide a summary table of important input data to serve the purpose of review, storage, and use in state management activities at local levels.

Article 6. Effective Date and Responsibility for Implementation

Clause 1. This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2026.

Clause 2. Circular No. 29/2012/TT-BKHCN dated December 19, 2012 of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the content of the General Safety Analysis Report in the application file for approval of site; Circular No. 08/2014/TT-BKHCN dated May 26, 2014 of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the content of the Safety Analysis Report in the application file for approval of nuclear power plant investment projects; Circular No. 10/2016/TT-BKHCN dated June 13, 2016 of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the content of the Safety Analysis Report in the application file for construction permit of nuclear power plants shall be repealed from the date this Circular takes effect.

Clause 3. The Director of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Administration, Heads of units under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Project Investors, Operating Organizations of nuclear power plants, and related agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

Clause 4. During implementation, if there are difficulties, agencies, organizations, and individuals shall promptly reflect them in writing to the Ministry of Science and Technology for consideration and resolution./.