Ensuring electricity, meeting growth targets
Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that in the new context of 2025, the Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government have determined the target of striving to achieve GDP growth of at least 8% and striving at double digits.
Accordingly, the electricity increase coefficient must meet about 1.5 times, the base scenario is equivalent to 12-13%, the high scenario must meet 13-14% and the extreme scenario must meet 15-16%. With this growth rate, each year Vietnam must supplement resources to meet the country's needs by 10-12% of output, equivalent to 10,000-12,000MW/year.
According to Mr. Dang Hoang An - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), one of the main tasks of EVN and Electricity enterprises in 2025 is to continue to ensure electricity supply for socio-economic development at a higher speed and prepare for the upcoming year with a double-digit growth target. However, EVN only accounts for 36-37% of the country's installed capacity, the remaining 41% of output is from enterprises, other corporations, domestic and foreign social enterprises. Therefore, there needs to be a joint effort under the direction of the ministry, the management of the Company operating and exploiting the electricity market.
"We have calculated and approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade the plan to increase by 12.2%, which is also a very challenging number and will soon have to overcome the dry season in 2025" - Mr. Dang Hoang An said.
In 2025, EVN will continue to maintain the investment speed and plan assigned by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of 109,000 billion VND, including very large projects such as: Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant expansion; Quang Trach 1 Thermal Power Plant with a capacity of 1,200MW must be connected to the grid before September 2, 2025; Lao Cai - Vinh Yen 500kV line must be completed in December 2025; the power supply line to Con Dao island district (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and many other projects.
Building and developing stable energy sources
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Le Dai Dien - former Deputy Director of the Nuclear Training Center, Vietnam Institute of Nuclear Energy - said that, overall, we have the Power Plan VIII. However, with a vision to 2050, the Planning approved by the Government (in May 2023) does not reflect two issues: Commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 as Vietnam committed to COP26 (simply stated: 0MW coal thermal power has not been emphasized) and the double-digit growth target for the period 2026-2030 and the following years.
To achieve the above two goals, the electricity industry has adjusted the Power Plan VIII according to the direction of the Government and the adjusted plan will be submitted for approval in February 2025 (according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade). To ensure the achievement of the above two goals, renewable energy and nuclear power have, are and will play a key role in the upcoming Power Plan.
According to the approved Power Plan VIII, renewable energy such as wind power and solar power will reach a rate of up to 67.5 - 71.5%. This is a big challenge for the electricity industry and with a double-digit growth target, this challenge will be even greater.
"The VIII power plan has emphasized the role of the transmission system, while wind power and solar power are planned to achieve Net zero by 2050. The government is also urgently deploying nuclear power. Choosing partners and gradually implementing them requires reason and alertness" - Mr. Le Dai Dien said.
Mr. Le Dai Dien emphasized that to grow in double digits, key economic sectors such as the digital economy, semiconductor industry or AI need stability of large-capacity power sources.
