By Xinhua

Hanoi : Vietnam will build 2-3 nuclear power plants with total capacity of 8,000 mw by 2025, media reports said Thursday.

Under a nuclear power development plan recently approved by the Vietnamese government, total investment for the plants is estimated at $16 billion, according to Saigon Liberation report.

Vietnam is preparing to build its first nuclear power plant with capacity of 1,000-2,000 mw at a cost of some $3 billion, which is expected to become operational after 2015.

Vietnam's electricity demand is forecast to annually grow 15-16 percent until 2010, according to the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade.

It plans to increase its electricity capacity to 25,000-26,000 mw in 2010 from 11,400 mw in 2005, meeting demand for its socio-economic development.