Vietnam Energy Dashboard

Grid Summary

Over the course of two decades Vietnam has emerged as an important regional producer of oil and natural gas in Southeast Asia. The country has boosted exploration activities, allowed greater foreign company involvement in the oil and natural gas sectors, and introduced market reforms aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s energy industry. While these efforts have helped Vietnam expand production of oil and natural gas, domestic consumption of these resources has also increased as a result of rapid economic growth. The country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by an average 7.3 percent over the last ten years. Half of Vietnam’s domestic energy consumption comes from oil, with hydropower (20 percent), coal (18 percent), and natural gas (12 percent) supplying the remainder. There are a number of power plants planned or proposed in Vietnam. The government has plans to increase Vietnam’s total installed generating capacity to 81 GW by 2020, or 9 times the 2004 capacity. As part of this effort, EVN has outlined plans to build 74 new power stations by 2020. Of these, 48 are slated to hydroelectric facilities, which has led some in the Vietnamese government to express concern about the country’s reliance on hydropower. Among the planned facilities is the Song La plant, which at 2,400 MW will make it Vietnam’s largest hydroelectric power station when completed. To diversify the country’s electricity supply, Vietnam has reportedly considered adding nuclear power to its generation mix…more information.

The Government of Viet Nam, in the National 2001-2010 Socio-Economic Development Strategy, has set out its development goals for 2010. These 12 goals (referred to as Viet Nam’s Development Goals or VDGs) that reflect the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) take into account development features specific to Viet Nam. The VDGs have been integrated into national socio-economic development strategies and five-year plans, which can be seen also as the national plan for achieving the MDGs. The nationalization and inclusion of the MDGs into national planning helps mobilize the entire society to reach its own goals and to honour Viet Nam’s international commitments. The most recent household survey data indicate that in 2004 the poverty rate was 19.5 per cent, and the share of the population living on less than a dollar a day fell sharply to 7.8 per cent. In 2004, the net enrolment rate in primary school reached 94.4 per cent, the primary school completion rate 99.82 per cent, and the adult literacy rate (among persons 15-24 years of age) 94.5 per cent. Increased investment in rural infrastructure has provided clean water and sanitation facilities to millions of households. In 2004, 41 per cent of the rural population had access to hygienic latrines. The position of women has improved in education and training, employment, and leadership. Child and maternal mortality rates have been significantly reduced: for 2004 the under-five mortality rate was 31.5 for 100 live births; the infant mortality rate was 18; and the maternal mortality ratio 85 per 100,000 newborns. These figures are very impressive, particularly for a country of Viet Nam’s income level...more information.