Why does Vietnam need any coal-fired plants by 2050?

[ASEAN NOW News]

We published a news item today that the Ministry of Industry and Trade wants coal-fired plants with a capacity of 14,120 megawatts scrapped from electricity production plans for Vietnam to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

 

The plants were included in Power Development Plan 7 (for 2011-20) and have not been built due to delays.

 

Now, the ministry does not want them to be part of Power Development Plan 8 (for 2021-30), which is being drafted.

 

The ministry also wants to reduce the ratio of coal-fired power sources from 25-31 percent in 2030 to around 10 percent in 2045.

 

No new coal-fired plant should be built after 2030, it said.

 

It wants to increase output from LNG-fueled and renewable plants to offset the cut in coal use.

 

It targets having 12,000-15,000 MW of renewables and 14,000 MW of liquefied natural gas plants in PDP 8.

 

Mong Duong plant

 

No with the global panic about rising temperatures it begs belief that Vietnam would even be considering creating more coal-fired plants.

 

With countries like the Philippines getting more assistance from South Korea to build nuclear plants for its energy, why is the Ministry of Industry and Trade even discussing future energy from coal?

 

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd (KHNP) is the largest power generator in Korea, producing one-third or around 28 percent of Korea’s domestic demand for power through a combination of nuclear power, hydropower, pumped-storage power, and new and renewable energy.

 

It is also an energy partner of 29 countries for the global power supply.

 

Surely Vietnam’s ministers should be flying to Seoul as soon as possible to get in line to work with KHNP too.

 

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