Vietnam to buy more electricity from China

Vietnam will import more electricity from China this year to serve its border provinces, according to local newspaper Vietnam Economic Times on Monday.

The Power Company No. 1 under the state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the country's biggest electricity producer and sole distributor, will, in the coming days, sign a new contract with the Yunnan Electric Power Group Co., Ltd. under the China Southern Power Grid. In the short term, some 50 million kWh of electricity will be bought via transmission lines in Vietnam's northern Lai Chau province to deal with the country's power shortage in the ongoing dry season.

Vietnam's electricity demand is forecast to annually grow 15-16 percent until 2010, according to the country's Industry Ministry. It plans to increase its electricity capacity to 25,000-26,000 MW in 2010 from 11,400 MW in 2005, meeting demand for its socio- economic development.