Gridlock for renewables in Vietnam

The government has set out an ambitious plan for renewables generation, but the underdeveloped grid will prevent transmission to sources of demand

The economic impact of Covid-19 and the limitations of Vietnam’s national grid will hinder the country’s attempts to turn away from coal and embrace renewable energy.  The attempted transition is ambitious; Vietnam needs to meet electricity demand growth of about 8pc/yr, with power consumption forecast to rise from 265-278 TWh in 2020 to 572-632 TWh in 2030. A draft power development plan says the country will move forward with 15 coal-fired power projects with a combined capacity of 18GW by 2026. Vietnam will  cancel or postpone until after 2030 nearly half of its previously planned increases in coal power capacity. In terms of natural resources, the country is well endowed for solar and wi