The first turbine in the 1,320-megawatt Vung Ang II thermal power plant project in the north-central Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh is set to begin a trial run next month, according to The Investor. The US$2.4 billion project is expected to begin commercial operation in July of 2025.
This comes amidst uncertainty around Vietnam’s net-zero commitment made at the 26th Conference of Parties on the back of a Just Energy Transition Partnership agreement for US$15.5 billion that has been struggling to gain legs.
Of note, the International Energy Association Coal Mid-Year Update 2024 found that Vietnam was on track to become the fifth biggest importer of coal in the world. Vietnam’s coal imports were up 38.6 percent in terms of volume and 14.5 percent in terms of value by the end of June.