Minh-Ngoc Nguyen
Research Expert covering Vietnam
Energy sector in Vietnam - statistics & facts
Vietnam’s fast-growing economy and population have resulted in increasing demand for power and energy in the last decade. The country relies on a diverse energy mix that includes fossil fuel sources such as coal, gas, and petroleum, as well as renewable ones, namely hydropower and solar energy.
Hydropower, on the other hand, was instrumental to the economic reforms of Vietnam. This power source was used as early as the 1950s in the country by the French colonists. However, Vietnam only reached its peak in hydropower development in the 1990s after successfully building the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant with the help of the Soviet Union and Russia. As of 2020, there were more than 370 hydropower plants of various sizes in Vietnam, with a total capacity of over 18 thousand megawatts.
Energy mix in Vietnam
Vietnam is rich in energy resources such as coal and gas, and its location is ideal for renewable energy. As a result, coal is the leading source of power, accounting for over 40 percent of the power supply, while hydropower and other renewables were responsible for over a third of the energy mix. Coal production is a key industry within the mining and quarrying sector, supplying increasing amounts of coal each year to meet the burgeoning domestic demand. Although Vietnam was among the top coal producers worldwide, its exports of this commodity have been declining rapidly. Meanwhile, the opposite applies to coal imports.Hydropower, on the other hand, was instrumental to the economic reforms of Vietnam. This power source was used as early as the 1950s in the country by the French colonists. However, Vietnam only reached its peak in hydropower development in the 1990s after successfully building the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant with the help of the Soviet Union and Russia. As of 2020, there were more than 370 hydropower plants of various sizes in Vietnam, with a total capacity of over 18 thousand megawatts.
