Vietnam approves revised energy plan to 2030 that integrates nuclear energy

The Vietnamese Government has approved Vietnam’s revised National Electricity Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 (PDP8), which now integrates the development of nuclear energy. Under the US$136bn plan, Vietnam notably plans to raise its total installed capacity to between 183 GW and 236 GW by 2030, up from more than 89 GW at the end of 2023. 

Onshore wind capacity is expected to reach 20 GW to 38 GW, (14%-16% of the total by 2030), and 6 GW to 17 GW of offshore wind will be put into operation between 2030 and 2035 (can be pushed forward early if conditions are favourable). Solar capacity would reach 46 GW to 73 GW (accounting for 25% -31% of the total), and hydropower 33 GW to 35 GW (15%-18%). Biomass capacity would reach 1.5 GW- 2.7 GW, waste-fired power capacity 1.4 GW-2.1 GW and geothermal about 45 MW.

As for thermal, coal-fired capacity would reach about 31 GW (13%-17%), gas-fired (non LNG) capacity 11 GW to 15 GW (about 6%), and LNG-fired capacity about 22.5 GW (9%-12%). In addition, the PDP8 now integrates the development of a nuclear power plant, which would have a capacity ranging between 4 GW and 6.4 GW and be commissioned between 2030 and 2035.

For 2050, the PDP8 plans to raise its total installed capacity to between 774.5 GW and 839 GW, with onshore wind reaching up to 91 GW, offshore wind up to 139 GW, solar up to 296 GW, hydropower up to nearly 41 GW and nuclear up to 14 GW.