Vietnam’s state power provider, Electricity Vietnam or EVN, is estimating a 12.24 percent rise in electricity consumption this month compared to May of last year, Tuoi Tre is reporting. The publication goes on to outline how EVN is preparing for a surge in demand over the summer, however, it lacks specific details.
Of note, power outages plagued northern Vietnam last summer costing the Vietnamese economy more that US$1 billion according to World Bank estimates. This was due to several factors including inadequate grid infrastructure that lacked the capacity to move power around the country particularly from solar power plants in the centre to the high-power-consuming north and south. Dry weather also led to a reduction in output from Vietnam’s hydropower plants and a lack of coal caused problems making up the difference with thermal power plants.
Furthermore, there have also been a lot of challenges getting new power projects beyond the planning stage. This is particularly pertinent in renewables with offshore wind, for example, supposed to provide six gigawatts of power to Vietnam’s electricity grid by 2030 yet, no offshore wind projects have been approved.