Approval granted for revision of the country's comprehensive energy blueprint
Vietnam has announced a revised National Energy Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2050. The key objectives of this plan focus on ensuring green and sustainable energy growth, aligning energy development with socio-economic strategies, and prioritizing renewable energy and environmental protection.
Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has approved the task of drafting this revised master plan, with the Ministry of Industry and Trade set to be the coordinating agency in charge of organizing the revision. The drafting process is expected to take approximately five months, starting from the date of approval.
The revised master plan encompasses the petroleum, coal, electricity, and new and renewable energy sub-sectors. It aims to provide an optimized, diversified energy system that balances the use of domestic resources and imports for long-term energy security and stability.
A significant emphasis is placed on environmental protection, aiming for green and sustainable energy growth. The plan seeks to expand electricity generation capacity to approximately 100 GW by 2030, emphasizing renewable power sources to meet an 8% annual growth in electricity demand and reduce reliance on carbon-intensive projects.
The share of renewable energy is set to increase to 28-36% by 2030 and 74-75% by 2050 (excluding hydropower). This includes large-scale wind and solar power development, such as the wind power hub planned for Quang Tri province with over 2.5 GW capacity.
The transmission grid will be upgraded to integrate more renewable energy sources and enhance cross-border grid connections for regional cooperation. The plan also supports a GDP growth rate target of approximately 10% annually from 2026 to 2030, with sufficient and stable energy supply.
Measures will be implemented to address obstacles in renewable energy projects, such as feed-in-tariff mechanisms and grid connection issues, ensuring smooth project completion and operation. The plan also promotes environmental protection by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing energy use efficiency, and preserving natural resources through rational energy exploitation balanced with imports.
The revised master plan will consist of three parts: a synthesis report, data annexes, and maps and diagrams. It will identify the realization of the current plan, forecast development trends, and climate change scenarios from 2026-2030 to 2050. The plan aims to support industrialisation and modernisation in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In summary, the revised plan aims to build a modern, sustainable, diversified energy system that rapidly expands renewable energy capacity within a strong environmental protection framework. This will support Vietnam's ambitious socio-economic and climate goals through 2030 and beyond.
- The revised National Energy Master Plan prioritizes renewable energy and environmental protection, aligning closely with the principles of environmental science.
- To achieve green and sustainable energy growth, the plan promotes the expansion of electricity generation from renewable power sources, which coordinates with the objectives of climate-change mitigation in the industry.
- The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the coordinating agency for the drafting process, will employ financing mechanisms to optimize the use of renewable energy, thereby integrating financial aspects related to energy and environmental conservation.
