Vietnam electrical program recorded a 30pct higher return than targeted

Vietnam News Agency reported that the national program on electrical energy efficiency and conservation, enacted over the last 5 years, has recorded a 30% higher return than targeted.

Vietnam News Agency reported that the national program on electrical energy efficiency and conservation, enacted over the last 5 years, has recorded a 30% higher return than targeted.

Mr Hoang Quoc Vuong deputy minister of Industry and Trade said that cities and provinces throughout the country have conserved more than 4 billion kWh.

Mr Vuong said that the ministry’s program covered the 2006-10 period following the Prime Minister’s instruction on electric saving in production and consumption. More than 1.18 billion kWh was saved this year alone, equal to 1.4% of total consumption. The energy saving was meaningful as it has been facing challenges due to prolonged droughts and erratic weather conditions.

The last 5 years saw a remarkable increase in electric consumption with the demand for power growing by 13.7% yearly, double GDP growth. Average electric consumption per person almost doubled in the past five years, with each person consuming more than 980 kWh per year.

The ministry has inspected more than 500 key enterprises and audited the accounts of electrical energy in 300 enterprises to develop a standard management system on efficient energy usage. To achieve the program’s target, almost all provinces and cities issued their own instruction on promoting the implementation of efficient electrical energy usage and set up local steering committees for the project.

The Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality in the last five years has completed 17 standard categories to be applied for the efficient energy usage. The promotional work for the program was through collaboration between the ministry and media throughout the country.

Mr Vuong, however, pointed to shortcomings in the program’s implementation. One of them was that large power consumers in the fields of industry, construction and small and medium enterprises are still using backward technology, which used large amounts of energy, as they could not afford to invest in more modern equipment. Moreover, a number of enterprises were not fully aware of the energy saving and that had resulted in an ineffective implementation of the program in some places.

The program was not effectively implemented in state run offices and companies which lacked strict supervision, especially where leaders exhibited little responsibility. To better save energy, relevant ministries and sectors needed to complete the legal framework for the practice of efficient energy usage during this year, prompting the issuance of documents to instruct the implementation of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation which would be approved by the National Assembly earlier this year.

He proposed the relevant ministries and sectors complete their requirement for energy efficiency standards and inform major energy consumers. Major provinces and cities should actively develop plans for energy efficiency and conservation and insert the program into their socio economic development strategy. – VNA

Tags: Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy