Vietnam’s Power Development Plan 8 (PDP VII) draft for the 2021-2030 period with a vision towards 2045 has been significantly delayed, however, a finalized draft is expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister in May 2022 for approval.

While the PDP8 has gone through several drafts, the latest revision proposes increasing electricity capacity to 146,000 MW by 2030 and incorporate the use of diversified sources of power in renewable energy as well as other fuel sources such as hydrogen and ammonia. This is significant as Vietnam made a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050 at the UN’s COP26.

The time taken for approval and several revisions to the PDP draft shows that government agencies have found it challenging to come to a common ground with negotiations ongoing to develop a clear plan forward for the country’s energy security.

Vietnam’s rapidly growing economy has increased energy demand

Significant opportunities in renewables but infrastructure needs to keep up

PDP draft calls for diversifying energy sources, increasing renewables, reducing coal dependency

Challenges ahead