Vietnam to purchase more power from China, Laos

HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam plans to purchase more electricity from China and Laos in the coming years as the domestic power supply is running out, an official has said.

At a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on May 28, Deputy Director of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Le Van Luc said Vietnam imports about 1,000MW of power from China and Laos annually.

Electricity imports from these two countries are expected to reach 3,000MW by 2025 and 5,000MW by 2030, he said, explaining that the domestic power supply is running out. 

Meanwhile, many power projects are lagging behind schedule. Almost all big- and medium-sized hydropower sources have been used, and there remain only a few small ones for exploitation. Therefore, hydropower will account for only 12.4 percent of all electricity supply by 2030. That will add a further complication to the supply shortage, according to the authority.

Power supply sources that can be put into use between 2016 and 2030 have total capacity of about 78,300MW, more than 17,500MW lower than the expected figure in a revised national electricity development plan. 

Most of the shortage will fall in 2018-2022. In particular, electricity reserves will be almost used up in 2018 and 2019, and power shortages will occur from 2021 to 2025, the workshop heard.-VNA