Talking to the press at the Q1/2026 press conference of the Ministry of Industry and Trade held on the afternoon of April 9, Deputy Director of the Electricity Department Nguyen The Huu said that according to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, this year the weather will gradually shift from La Nina to neutral state around May, June, July, and may transition to El Nino in this year's rainy season.
This year, right from March 31, hot weather occurred in the North and electricity consumption reached about one billion kWh/day, a level that had appeared in previous years. The main reason is that hot weather has increased electricity demand.
Regarding the mobilization of electricity sources, right from the end of 2025, the Minister of Industry and Trade approved a plan to ensure electricity supply for 2026, with a basic growth plan of about 8.5% and a high scenario for the dry season that could reach 14.1%. Currently, the accumulated load growth to date is about more than 6%, still within the expected plan. However, the load accumulation at certain times depends heavily on the weather. If prolonged heat waves, especially in large cities, electricity demand will increase sharply, putting great pressure on the power system.
Deputy Director Nguyen The Huu said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has implemented many solutions, directing power generation, transmission, distribution and dispatch units to ensure power supply.
Some positive information is as follows: First, currently most large hydropower reservoirs, especially in the North, are stocking water at a high level, ready for the peak of the dry season. This is also the reason explaining why the proportion of hydropower in the current source structure is low; there will be adjustments in the flood season.
Regarding fuel sources: Earlier this month, PV Gas announced the increase in gas reprocessing capacity from more than 7 million m3/day to 9.5 million m3/day. This helps increase flexibility in mobilizing gas power sources in the Southeast region, meeting load demand.
Regarding the power grid, the National Power Transmission Corporation has increased the capacity of some 500 kV substations such as Pho Noi, Mai Chau (Hoa Binh), and is expected to put into operation about 18 more horizontal compensation capacities by May 15 to improve the stability and power transmission capacity for the Northern region.
In addition, regarding load on the source and fuel supply sides, units have also proactively implemented many solutions. Regarding load, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is seeking opinions to adjust the peak and off-peak hours, in order to encourage businesses (especially industries such as steel and processing) to shift electricity consumption to off-peak hours, contributing to balancing the system.
Answering the content about electric vehicles, Deputy Director Nguyen The Huu assessed that the trend of electric vehicle development is an inevitable trend, difficult to reverse. Especially in the recent context, when the situation in the Middle East has fluctuated, the supply of gasoline and oil is facing difficulties, and oil prices have increased, people are even more motivated to switch to using electric vehicles.
According to the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, by the end of 2025, Vietnam will have about 250,000 electric cars and nearly 2.6 million electric motorbikes. It is estimated that the electricity demand for these vehicles is about 652 million kWh, only increasing about 0.2% of the total commercial electricity demand.
It is forecast that by 2030, the number of electric cars may reach from 1–1.6 million vehicles; electric motorbikes about 8–13 million vehicles. At that time, electricity demand will be around 3.1–5.6 billion kWh/year, accounting for about 0.68–1.1% of total electricity demand – this is not too large a number.
The problem is not only in total electricity consumption but also in the immediate capacity the system must meet. Forecasting electricity demand for electric vehicles depends on many factors: Vehicle size; electricity consumption level; charging behavior (time, frequency); charging capacity; concentration level in urban areas. The big challenge is not total electricity but the development of a synchronous distribution grid with charging infrastructure, avoiding local overload" - Mr. Huu emphasized.
To solve this, Mr. Huu said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade will focus on a number of solutions: Reviewing and updating electricity planning and local power grid planning. Building a suitable electricity price mechanism to encourage charging outside peak hours. Developing smart charging systems to reduce power pressure immediately.
