There would be no reason accepted for the thin coal supply for power plants in the country, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said at a government meeting on December 12. 
Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung at a meeting on Dec 12. Photo: Chinhphu.vn
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Dung emphasized the importance of coal supply as thermal power and hydropower are the main power sources for Vietnam but hydropower has reached its maximum capacity while other kinds of energy remain modest.
Currently, coal-fired power accounts for roughly 45% of the country’s total electricity supply, followed by hydropower with 30%.
Earlier this month, the government’s leaders raised their voices after EVN claimed that its power members were facing coal shortages due to Vinacomin’s thin supply. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asserted that some heads would roll if they failed to ensure enough power supply.
Thermal power remains a double-edged issue in Vietnam as the country needs to meet the power growth of 10%-12% annually in the context of slowly-implemented and still costly renewable energy projects.
Many international figrres including the World Bank’s Country Director in Vietnam Ousmane Dione, Ambassador Bruno Angelet, head of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam, said that the country must consider long-term environment impacts rather than generating thermal power for its fast-growing economic growth currently.
