Vietnam has announced its intent to reduce coal-fired power generation by 6 per cent in 2021 and prioritise renewable energy. This will entail a reduction of 8 billion KWh from the 126 billion KWh expected during 2021. Total output from all sources is estimated to be 260 billion KWh. Between a period of January to April 2021 National utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) also suspended about 8,000 MW of hydropower plant output from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. every day to prioritise solar power intake.
Reduced intake from coal-fired and hydropower plants has ramifications, as the increased frequency of turbine restarts raises the risk of system failure. In 2020, restarts due to oversupply totalled to 192. There were 334 restarts in the first four months of 2021 alone. EVN hopes to prioritise solar and wind power intake with these cuts, as well as double its output from last year to 32 KWh in 2021.
Renewable output is expected to reach 20,000 MW, accounting for 30 per cent of total supply during 2021. Currently renewable energy only accounts for 12 per cent of total output due to the transmission lines’ limited capacity. By 2026, the figure is expected to increase to 17 per cent.