The North still lacks electricity during peak summer 2024, 2025

Assessing the electricity supply situation in 2024-2025 at the Conference on Saving Electricity in the Hot Season, organized by the Office of the Energy Saving Steering Committee (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Electricity Regulatory Authority on August 18 in Hanoi, Mr. Tran Viet Nguyen, Deputy Head of the Business Department of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) said: The demand for electricity continues to increase, forecast to increase by an average of 9%/year, corresponding to an increase in capacity of 4,000-4,500 MW/year.

Meanwhile, the power source expected to be put into operation in 2024 is 1,950MW and in 2025 is 3,770MW, mainly concentrated in the Central and Southern regions.

The reserve capacity of the Northern power system is low, while the demand for electricity in the North is growing by 10% per year. Therefore, the North is likely to face a shortage of peak capacity during some hot periods in June-July 2024 (shortage of 420-1,770MW).

Electricity supply to the North in the summer of 2024-2025 is still very tight.

This summer, the Northern power system experienced a shortage of supply and had to reduce load in some localities to ensure the safety of the power system.

The Southern power system also lacks peak capacity at some peak hours, the system has to mobilize oil-fired thermal power sources to meet peak load demand.

Mr. Vo Quang Lam, Deputy General Director of EVN, assessed: The annual electricity demand growth is high, the demand for electricity consumption (commercial electricity) in the period of 2016-2022 grows by an average of 7.72%/year. In particular, in the 4 years of 2016-2019, the growth rate is up to 9.6%/year.

The average commercial electricity output per capita in 2022 is estimated at 2,425 kWh/person, an increase of 1.55 times compared to 2015 (1,566 kWh/person). The national electricity demand increased dramatically (on May 19, 2023, it reached a new record of 918.5 million kWh, an increase of 12.34% over the same period). The maximum consumption capacity on May 19 was up to 43,300 MW (an increase of 9.12% over the same period).

"Using energy economically and efficiently is one of the top important policies directed by the Party and State, especially in the context of high global fuel prices as it is now," Mr. Vo Quang Lam shared.

According to EVN, in May and June 2023, the whole country saved about 220 million kWh each month (equivalent to about 1% of total demand). The 4 industry groups focusing on saving include: administrative services, public lighting, outdoor advertising and decorative lighting, and key energy-using facilities.

In the period of 2023-2025 and the following years, the whole country must strive to save at least 2% of total electricity consumption annually, reducing electricity loss in the entire power system to below 6% in the period up to 2025.

World Bank: Early summer power shortages cost Vietnam $1.4 billion World Bank estimates that the recent power cuts/blackouts in early summer have reduced Vietnam's GDP by 0.3%, equivalent to billions of dollars. This problem will continue if not resolved decisively.

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