Vietnam to import more electricity from Laos, China

Delays in many electricity projects threaten the south of Vietnam with power shortages next year, the industry ministry says.

Lawmakers on Tuesday voted against a government bill which they felt would undermine parliament’s oversight over major national projects.

Lawmakers are unhappy that Vietnam’s monopoly electricity distributor is raising power tariffs at will because it has no competitor.

National Assembly deputies are concerned a new government proposal could take away their power to approve major national projects.

Vietnam is seeing a surge in electricity demand as summer heat intensifies while water shortage constrains power production.

Hanoi has begun to pay consumers who produce rooftop solar power and send back to the grid.

Government inspectors will study the latest power price adjustment that saw electricity bills go up by 8.36 percent from March 20.

The first quarter saw a flurry of interest among foreign investors in LNG-fired power projects in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s power prices went up 8.36 percent Wednesday after remaining unchanged for two years.

Vietnam added to its national electricity plan 121 solar power projects with a capacity of 8,100 MW at the end of last year. 

Electricity prices in Vietnam have surged nine times in the 2009-2018 period.

Marubeni Corporation, one of the biggest Japanese investors in Vietnam, is seeking to expand into new industries in this country.

The debate between cheap, polluting energy from coal and expensive, environment-friendly renewable energy was on the agenda at an economic forum.