Renewable energy sources could end power shortages

Viet Nam has so much potential in wind, solar, tidal and other renewable energies that it can eliminate power shortages by 2015, an official has said.

Nguyen Duc Cuong, director of the Centre for Renewal Energy and Clean Development Mechanism, said the country had a range of high-capacity, renewable sources, thanks to its geographical location and agrarian character.

Cuong told Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) that around 10,000MW couldbe generated from wind power, 200-340MW from geothermal sources, 500MW from agricultural waste, 200MW from urban waste, 100MW from ocean tides, and 58MW from biogas.

Solar energy would contribute up to 5 kWh per square metre per day, he said. A megawatt equals 1,000kWh.

Official agencies were drafting policies and plans to generate renewal energy, he said. The country faces a power shortage and may have to import energy.

In the 2010-25 period, the country’s energy needs would triple, with the electricity need growing by eight times, Cuong said.

With oil prices fluctuating based on the growing demand from emerging industrial countries like China, India and Brazil and hydroelectric plants around the country operating at full capacity, Viet Nam may have to import coal for power plants after 2015.

Cuong said the energy shortage would be 15 million tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) in 2020 and 56 million TOE in 2030.

Experts estimate the country’s reliance on imported energy at 12.2 per cent in 2020, rising to 28 per cent in 2030.

Huynh Kim Tuoc, director of the HCM City Centre for Energy Conservation, said every energy sector needed initial investment and it required Government funding to develop the renewal energy sector. — VNS

Tags: Renewable energy, Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy, Vietnam power shortage