Vietnam may face power supply shortage after 2020
Vietnam may face power supply shortage after 2020
The country is forecast to face power shortage after 2020 due to many power projects falling behind schedule, especially in southern provinces which may lack some 3.7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of power in 2021 and up to 10 billion kWh one year later.
Meanwhile, there was no backup power supply for the 2018-2019 period, according to a representative of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Block B-O Mon gas and Ca Voi Xanh (Blue Whale) projects are reportedly behind schedule by nine months to a year, while the Kien Giang 1 and 2 thermal power projects will not be completed in the 2021-2025 period. Similarly, the O Mon III project, rescheduled for completion in 2025, will fail to meet this target.
Further, hundreds of solar projects reaching completion have yet to be connected to the national grid due to unresolved problems related to finance and power infrastructure.
The total commercial electricity output listed in the master power plan is forecast to reach 235 billion kWh by 2020, or even 245 billion kWh, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
During the 2019-2020 period, the sector plans to put into service some 6,900 MW of electricity generated from coal-fired, hydropower and renewable power plants.
In addition, 47 solar power projects with a total capacity of 2,300 MW were connected to the national power grid as of May 30, remarked Vo Quang Lam, vice general director of the Vietnam Electricity Group, adding that 49 more projects are scheduled to be connected to the grid this month, providing a total of some 5,000 MW of power for the sector.
Given the supplementary volume of electricity, the sector might meet the national demand for power in the short run, stated the ministry. However, it will have to call on additional power generation from fuel-fired power plants, at a total output of 1.7 billion kWh this year and up to 5.2 billion kWh in 2020, to ensure an adequate power supply for the country.
Also, the sector may experience some pitfalls with power generation, as some power generators may fail to meet operation requirements or lack input materials such as coal and gas, posing a risk of a power shortage after 2020.
The total power capacity put into service from 2016 to 2030 will reach an estimated 80,500 MW, which is 15,200 MW lower than the target figure in the master plan, resulting in a shortage in the power supply of 17,000 MW, mainly in the 2018-2022 period.
To remove the obstacles, the ministry proposed the Government and relevant agencies quickly adopt appropriate policies to enable the projects to be put into operation.
Hoang Quoc Vuong, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, in a statement proposed the country purchase additional electricity from Laos and China.
For a long-term plan to ensure an adequate power supply, the ministry proposed the Government draw up appropriate and reasonable power prices to attract more investment in the power sector, select qualified investors and create favorable conditions for them to execute renewable power projects as planned.
