Renewable energy wave, abandoning fossil fuels

Over the past two decades, the use of solar and wind energy has surpassed expectations and grown much faster than expected.

According to research by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world's renewable energy capacity increased by 50% to 510 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 - the 22nd consecutive year that renewable energy capacity set a new record. By 2028, renewable energy sources are forecast to account for more than 42% of global electricity production.

According to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) report Accelerating Energy Transitions 2024, countries have made important strides.

The Energy Transition Index (ETI) is topped by Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland, all of which are developed economies. France is also in the top five for its high scores due to its energy efficiency policies.

Developing countries leading the energy transition are Lebanon, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa, which have pledged to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, decentralize renewable energy and increase clean energy jobs.

In the above list, Vietnam ranks 32nd. Since 2017, to promote the development of wind and solar power, the Government has issued many policies to encourage businesses to invest in this field.

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Renewable energy sources are expected to account for more than 42% of global electricity production by 2028. Photo: Nam Khanh

From accounting for an insignificant proportion of total electricity output, renewable electricity has now accounted for over 15% of the total electricity output of the system.

The rapid development of renewable energy sources in recent times has contributed to increasing the rate of access to clean energy sources; reducing CO2 emissions according to the international commitment at COP26 of the Vietnamese Government.

This is also a common trend in the region and the world. The structure of power sources has actually shifted significantly from gray energy sources to clean energy. In ASEAN, not only Vietnam but also many other countries have great potential for solar and wind power such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines. However, up to now, Vietnam has far surpassed these countries in exploiting solar and wind power.

Notably, in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the electricity output from wind and solar power sources reached 5.242 billion kWh, 10.994 billion kWh and 29 billion kWh, respectively. This contributed to a significant reduction in oil-fired electricity. For example, in 2019, it decreased by about 2.17 billion kWh, in 2020 and 2021, it decreased by 4.2 billion kWh, saving about 10,850-21,000 billion VND in using oil to generate electricity.

In the coming time, the Government will continue to prioritize the development of renewable energy. This is reflected in the Power Plan 8 approved on May 15, 2023. This plan aims to strongly develop renewable energy sources for electricity production. By 2050, the renewable energy ratio is expected to reach 67.5-71.5%. Controlling greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production to reach about 204-254 million tons in 2030 and about 27-31 million tons in 2050.

Power Plan 8 aims to achieve a peak emission level of no more than 170 million tons by 2030 (provided that commitments under JETP are fully and substantially implemented by international partners). Build a smart grid system capable of integrating, safely and effectively operating large-scale renewable energy sources.

The push for renewable energy is also making electric vehicles cleaner, as they draw less from fossil fuel-based electricity.

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Electric vehicles contribute to reducing environmental pollution. Photo: Luong Bang

Electric cars are cleaner, less polluting

The report "Vietnam Energy Outlook - Road to Net Zero Emissions" (EOR-NZ) released by the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority (Ministry of Industry and Trade) in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency and the Danish Embassy in June 2024 assessed that Vietnam can achieve its carbon neutrality target (Net Zero) by 2050.

In this report, the researchers presented a scenario related to Green Transport. The report assessed: Major cities in Vietnam are facing alarmingly high levels of air pollution with significant negative impacts on public health. The transport sector, along with other economic sectors, contributes significantly to this situation. Higher efficiency standards, fine dust filters and electrochemistry, among other solutions, can contribute to mitigating the above impacts.

The Green Transport Strategy (Decision 876/QD-TTg, 2022) sets out key targets for developing the transport sector towards a net zero emissions target by 2050. These targets include increasing the proportion of transport modes using electricity and green energy, starting from 2025, as well as a plan to shift transport demand to public modes in major cities.

The report finds that: There are currently around 2.4 million cars, almost all of them petrol-powered. By 2050, only electric cars are expected to be on the road, with the number of cars projected to be 10.5 million in the baseline scenario (BSL) and 9.6 million in the net zero emissions scenario (NZ). The lower number in the NZ scenario is due to the assumption of a modal shift from private cars to public transport (urban rail) in major cities.

The report suggests that electrification of light-duty transport segments should be focused on because it is cost-effective. Switching to electric vehicles (e.g. electric cars, electric scooters, as well as vans and buses) is not only a way to reduce climate impacts, but also offers the opportunity to reduce health and environmental costs associated with air pollution, especially in urban areas.

Mr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, assessed: Currently, Hanoi as well as many cities in Vietnam are seriously polluted. One of the main causes of air pollution is from personal vehicles. We have many motorbikes and cars running on fossil fuels. There are no regulations to control emissions of motorbikes, and they can emit as much black smoke as they want, which is a significant source of air pollution for the city.

“The fact that VinFast and many other businesses use electric vehicles such as motorbikes, cars, and buses is a great effort to reduce pollution. In parallel, we are expanding the public transport system, planting trees, and building elevated railways... Switching to electric vehicles and no longer using fossil fuels is a very correct direction. We must go, there is no other way, otherwise pollution will continue,” warned Mr. Hoang Duong Tung.

Most motorcyclists want to have cars, an opportunity for electric vehicles . In the world, the speed of electric vehicle development is like a storm, but in Vietnam, this means of transport is still discriminated against. Accordingly, electric vehicles go down to many apartment basements without charging stations, and when entering the parking lot, they are immediately asked to leave because of safety concerns.