Solar power struggles to gain traction despite rapid development
Solar power struggles to gain traction despite rapid development
Despite the recent boom in solar power projects in Vietnam, this renewable energy still meets only a small proportion of the country’s total electricity demand, at 27 million out of the 750 million kilowatt hours needed per day.
At a seminar on August 24, Vo Quang Lam, deputy general director of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), noted that the total power capacity of Vietnam is 48,000 megawatts. However, only 39,000 megawatts of electricity is being utilized, the local media reported.
With demand for power growing by 10% each year, 43,000 megawatts of electricity will be needed next year.
Solar power can help meet part of the demand, while the country currently depends on coal-fired and gas-fired power and hydropower.
Under the adjusted National Power Development Plan VII, the total solar power capacity was expected to reach 850 megawatts by 2020, but the current capacity is already 4,500 megawatts and will hit 7,700 megawatts by 2020.
In addition, it takes eight to 10 months to build a renewable power plant but three to five years to develop a transmission line, raising difficulties in connecting these plants to the national grid, Lam added.
Ha Dang Son, director of the Center for Energy and Green Growth Research, stated that the country’s hydropower potential is almost exhausted, so Vietnam should diversify its energy resources.
Lam noted that EVN will continue asking the Government to remove obstacles to attract more investors to the energy sector.
