Vietnam aims to fine-tune national power development

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will promote development of renewable energy resources, aiming to increase the proportion of power produced from these sources in the national electricity structure.

Under an adjusted plan on electricity development from 2011 to 2020 with a vision to 2030 that was approved recently, around 148 billion USD will be invested in the work in the period (excluding projects invested in the build-operate-transfer (BOT) form).

Priorities will be given to developing hydropower plants – especially projects that can prevent flooding, supply water and produce electricity. Research will be made toward building pumped-storage hydropower plants in line with the development of the national electricity system, thus bettering the operation of the electricity system.

Total capacity of hydropower plants across the country is expected to increase to 21,600 MW by 2020, about 24,600 MW by 2025 and around 27,800 MW by 2030.

Meanwhile, total capacity of wind and solar power plants will reach 800 MW, and 850 MW respectively by 2020. The figures were hoped to hit 2,000 MW and 4,000 MW by 2025, and 6,000 MW and 12,000 MW by 2030.

The country also aims to lift total capacity of thermal power plants nationwide to 26,000 MW by 2020, generating about 131 billion kWh of power and accounting for 49.3 percent of total electricity output.

The plan stressed the necessity for maximum use of domestic coal resources for northern thermal power plants, and for building a number of plants in the Duyen Hai, Long Phu, Song Hau and Long An electricity centres, which will use imported coal.

Vietnam plans to put its first nuclear power plant into operation in 2028. It will produce about 32.5 billion kWh by 2030, 5.7 percent of total power generation.

Electricity infrastructure nationwide will also be upgraded.

Gas-insulated substations (GIS), transformer stations, underground substations and self-operation transformers will be constructed, while smart electricity grid technology will be used to transmit electricity.-VNA