Power shortage may loom Vietnam in 2020 and coming years

Power shortage may cast its shadow over Vietnam in 2020 and afterwards, mostly in the southern region due to the sluggishness of many energy projects, local media reported, citing the Ministry of Industry and Trade. 

The country may face the power shortage in 2020 if diesel-fired generators fails to meet the required capacity or lack of fuel (coal and gas) for the power generation, according to the ministry. 



It said that the diesel-fueled power mobilized for 2019 would be 1.7 billion kWh and might reach 5.2 billion kWh by 2020. 



More seriously, the power shortage might happen in the southern region in 2021-2025 due to rising consumption volume. The shortage might hit 3.7 billion kWh in 2021, nearly 10 billion kWh in 2022, 12 billion kWh in 2023, 7 billion kWh in 2024, and 3.5 kWh in 2025. 



Under the revised Power Plan VII, the country’s total capacity may reach 95,700 MW for the 2016-2030 period but the realistic figure would be around 80,200 MW. 



The power shortage in the south would be largely created by the delay of gas projects namely Block B and Ca Voi Xanh (Blue Whale) – Vietnam’s largest offshore gas project off the central city of Danang discovered in 2011 with reserves of 150 billion cu.m. 



In addition, Kien Giang 1 and 2 Thermal Power projects and O Mon 2 Gas-fired Power project would fail to come operational in 2021-2025. 



In case Long Phu 1 Thermal Power project fails to meet the completion deadline by 2023, the situation would be worse in 2024-2025, the ministry predicted. 



The annual growth of power consumption in Vietnam in the 2016-2020 is around 10.34%-11.26%.