with electricity production and power grid meeting only 87.7% and 72% of the targets, respectively.

A wind power plant in Binh Thuan Province – PHOTO: THANH HOA

Addressing a meeting held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 8, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said several coal-fired power plants in the Southwest have been suspended, while nuclear power plants were not approved and many power projects developed under the build-operate-transfer format have moved at a snail’s pace.

“The slow progress of power projects has affected the entire progress of the seventh electricity plan, with the country facing an electricity shortage in the 2020-2025 period. If there are no timely solutions, the country will face a serious electricity shortage in the future, affecting its socioeconomic development,” Vuong noted.

The deputy minister revealed that the national electricity plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision toward 2045 or the eighth electricity plan will focus on developing renewable energy and restricting coal-fired power.

Le Thi Thu Ha from the Institute of Energy stated that the eighth electricity plan has six scenarios.

The first, second and third scenarios focus on increasing the portion of renewable energy, while the fourth scenario sets out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25%.

According to the fifth scenario, the Government might not approve new coal-fired power projects after 2030, while the sixth scenario aims to generate 1,000 MW and 5,000 MW from nuclear power projects by 2040 and 2045, respectively.

The eighth electricity draft plan suggests that the southern and central regions should focus on developing renewable energy, while the northern region should concentrate on liquefied natural gas and imported coal for power generation. SGT