An electricity shortage will affect the whole country starting from 2021.
A report recently submitted to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Industry and Trade predicts that due to delayed power projects, Vietnam will face a serious energy shortage from 2021 to 2025, VnExpress shares.
According to the report, the peak of Vietnam’s power shortage will fall between 2021 and 2023. In this period, yearly electricity demand will exceed generated electricity by 1.5 to five billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) on average, while in other years this number will fall between 100 and 500 million kWh.
The power shortage will be most severe in southern Vietnam. The ministry warns that in 2021, electricity demand in this region will exceed supply by 3.7 billion kWh, which will rise to 10 billion kWh in 2022 and 12 billion kWh in 2023 before dropping to seven billion kWh in 2024 and 3.5 billion kWh in 2025 as more power projects go into operation.
Tran Tuan Anh, the minister of industry and trade, said that the main culprit for these shortages is the delay in electricity generation plant construction, especially ones that are not overseen by the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN).
Thermal power plant projects such as Thai Binh 2, Long Phu 1, Song Hau 1 and Ca Voi Xanh are all at least nine months behind schedule. Many power plant projects laid out for the 2016-2030 period have also failed to take off in Bac Lieu, Ninh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.
A lack of secured funds is cited as another factor contributing to the future power shortage.
