In Vietnam, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has submitted the revised draft of “National Power Plan for 2021-2030 and Achieving 2045 Targets (PDP8)” to the Office of the Prime Minister. The content of the revised draft is expected to help the Vietnamese government expedite its efforts to fulfill the pledge made at COP26 to phase out coal-fired generation by 2040 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This story was first reported by news outlets in Vietnam and around Southeast Asia on April 15.
MOIT has proposed the largest cut in greenhouse gases to date. To realize this, the ministry recommends a gradual transition to thermal power generation based on biofuels and biomass. Nevertheless, about 10.842GW of coal-fired generation projects that are in the planning or development stage will continue to be implemented. Furthermore, some foreign energy companies have already submitted BOT applications for power plants that burn fossil fuels. Regarding these projects, MOIT recommends that they will not be abandoned. But at the same time, they will have to become gas-fired power plants. As for gas-fired power plants being developed by domestic entities, MOIT recommends that they will be supplied by domestic sources of natural gas in order to improve the country’s energy self-sufficiency.
In addition to biofuels and biomass, PDP8 also mentions the development of PSH schemes, offshore wind farms, and PV arrays. In the case of PV arrays, they are suitable for directly supplying power to manufacturing enterprises.
An article published by Southeast Asia Globe on April 22 stated that the Vietnamese government is considering nuclear power plants. Due to climate change and recent geopolitical events, Vietnam is facing soaring energy costs and a looming energy shortage. Furthermore, the country’s energy demand is surging due to the rapid growth of its economy. Hence, nuclear power is an increasingly enticing option for filling the immediate energy supply gap. The same article also stated that Vietnam is the leader in Southeast Asia with respect to installed PV generation capacity, but the development of renewable projects in the country is rife with corruption. The government is trying to address this issue as it gradually rolls out PDP8.