Coal fired plants to replace hydro as top power source in Vietnam

May 12, 2016 | 02:42 am PT

Vietnam plans to transit from hydropower to clean coal fired power plants for electricity production, but the country has also pledged to reduce carbon emissions from energy production by 20-30 percent by 2030 compared to 2010.

Vietnam currently relies mostly on hydropower for electricity. According to the seventh Power Development Master Plan (PDMP), by 2030, electricity production from coal fired plants will take over hydropower as the main source of electricitiy, accounting for 53.2 percent, while only 12.4 percent of electricity will come from the latter.

Source: IEA

Source: Seventh Power Development Master Plan (PDMP)

According to UN's estimates based on IAEA 1996, coal power plants are far more carbon dioxide intensive than hydropower.

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However, in Vietnam's National Green Growth Strategy approved in 2012, by 2030, Vietnam has commited to reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 1.5-2 percent, and carbon emissions from energy production by 20-30 percent compared to 2010.

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