Directive on electricity saving issued

Specifically, the directive targets to save 2 percent of electricity output and reduce power loss on the entire power system by under 6 percent by 2025.

By 2030, 50 percent of office buildings and houses will be installed solar panels.

By 2025, 100 percent of street light devices will use LED lights. 

The Government expects to reduce the peak load capacity of the national grid through the implementation of the Demand-Side Management (DSM) and Demand Response (DR) programs, by at least 1,500 MW by 2025.

The Government aims to save at least 5 percent of electricity at offices, cut 30 percent of power consumption for public lighting and advertisement. 

Restaurants, hotels and commercial service facilities are requested to cut 50 percent of outdoor decoration advertisement at peak hours. 

Saving energy are encouraged at households and production sites.

To fulfill the aforesaid goals, ministries, ministry-level and government agencies, People's Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces, businesses and mass organizations are ordered to save electricity in workplaces, public lighting, lighting for advertising purposes, and outdoor decorations, households, commercial and service establishments, and manufacturing companies.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is tasked with building and launching programs to install rooftop solar panels on business offices and households, as well as promoting the use of energy-efficient  equipment in households such as air conditioners, refrigerators, LED lights, and washing machines.

The Viet Nam Electricity (EVN) Group is in charge of optimizing the operations of power plants and distribution grids to efficiently utilize primary energy sources and reduce electricity losses throughout the systems.

Risk of daily power shortage

The northern region in Viet Nam is facing the risk of power shortage at almost every point of time each day. As of June 6, the combined capacity of the hydroelectric plants stood at 3,110MW, only 23.7% of their designed capacity.

The northern thermal power plants generated only 11,934MW, making up 76.6% of their designed capacity, said Tran Viet Hoa, head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Viet Nam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The accumulative capacity of the northern power system reaches only 17,500MW-17,900MW, including 2,500MW-2,700MW from the southern and central regions, as compared with whole northern region’s demand of 23,500MW-24,000MW, the official pointed out.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued an official telegram demanding drastic measures to ensure electricity supply in this dry season and the coming time.

Under the official telegram, the MoIT was asked to promptly finalize a Prime Minister’s directive on strengthening power savings in the 2023-2025 period and following years and submit to the Prime Minister by June 8. The ministry was also ordered to complete a Prime Minister’s decree on ensuring power supply and the supply of coal and gas for electricity production and submit to him by June 15.

The Prime Minister also tasked the MoIT to establish an inspection team to examine the power supply management at the EVN from January 2021 to June 1, 2023./.