Social Affairs
Vietnam seeks solutions for power shortage by 2020
Vietnam would need 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2020.
Solutions for Vietnam’s power shortage in the early 2020s were discussed at the workshop "Developing Sustainable Energy and Protecting Environment in Vietnam" held by the Energy Association in Hanoi on November 29, Vietnam News Agency reported.
At the workshop "Developing Sustainable Energy and Protecting Environment in Vietnam". Photo: Duc Dung
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According to the revised power plan 7, Vietnam needs 60,000 megawatts (MW) in 2020, 96,500 MW in 2025 and 129,500 MW in 2030 to meet its demand. Thus, the total capacity of power to be put into service from now to 2030 needs to increase about 6,000 - 7,000 MW per year.
Tran Viet Anh, head of the Strategic Division under the Electricity of Vietna m (EVN), said that Vietnam’s total installed capacity of the electricity sector is currently 47,750MW. Thus, raising the capacity to 129,500 MW in 12 years is a big challenge given the slow construction progress of many power plants.
Meanwhile, many of the projects in the revised VII Plan are slowing down, leading to the possibility that power shortages are likely to happen from 2020 to 2025, Anh warned.
He stressed that only seven coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 7,860 MW are currently under construction. More than 18,000 of 26,000 MW of coal thermal power projects are expected to be operational in the next five years, however, construction has not yet started. This will negatively affect the electricity supply in the coming years.
In the field of oil and gas, Director General of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Vu Truong Son said that Vietnam would need 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2020. Therefore, besides exploiting existing oilfields, it was necessary to consider building infrastructure for importing LNG.
A representative from the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) said it was able to supply only between 42-50 million tons of coal per year. Meanwhile, households’ demand for coal is exceeding the capacity of the coal industry, especially thermal power, up to 128 million tons per year. The import of coal is inevitable with the demand of 67 million tons by 2025, and 98 million tons by 2030.
In addition, the coal exploitation and processing technology is at low level, requiring large investment capital for exploring, exploiting, processing and building infrastructure.
Vinacomin noted that the planning for the period of 2016-2030 needs VND269,000 billion (US$12.3 billion) of investment. Thus, the average annual demand for coal is VND18 trillion (US$774 million), excluding overseas investment to import coal into Vietnam as well as infrastructure and logistics for coal imports.
According to Tran Viet Ngai, chairman of the Vietnam Energy Association, to ensure the country's energy security, Vietnam should review the projects of electricity, gas and coal, clearly point out projects which are behind schedule to deal with it immediately.
Tran Viet Anh, head of the Strategic Division under the Electricity of Vietna m (EVN), said that Vietnam’s total installed capacity of the electricity sector is currently 47,750MW. Thus, raising the capacity to 129,500 MW in 12 years is a big challenge given the slow construction progress of many power plants.
Meanwhile, many of the projects in the revised VII Plan are slowing down, leading to the possibility that power shortages are likely to happen from 2020 to 2025, Anh warned.
He stressed that only seven coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 7,860 MW are currently under construction. More than 18,000 of 26,000 MW of coal thermal power projects are expected to be operational in the next five years, however, construction has not yet started. This will negatively affect the electricity supply in the coming years.
In the field of oil and gas, Director General of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) Vu Truong Son said that Vietnam would need 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2020. Therefore, besides exploiting existing oilfields, it was necessary to consider building infrastructure for importing LNG.
A representative from the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) said it was able to supply only between 42-50 million tons of coal per year. Meanwhile, households’ demand for coal is exceeding the capacity of the coal industry, especially thermal power, up to 128 million tons per year. The import of coal is inevitable with the demand of 67 million tons by 2025, and 98 million tons by 2030.
In addition, the coal exploitation and processing technology is at low level, requiring large investment capital for exploring, exploiting, processing and building infrastructure.
Vinacomin noted that the planning for the period of 2016-2030 needs VND269,000 billion (US$12.3 billion) of investment. Thus, the average annual demand for coal is VND18 trillion (US$774 million), excluding overseas investment to import coal into Vietnam as well as infrastructure and logistics for coal imports.
According to Tran Viet Ngai, chairman of the Vietnam Energy Association, to ensure the country's energy security, Vietnam should review the projects of electricity, gas and coal, clearly point out projects which are behind schedule to deal with it immediately.
