Vietnam Adjusts Electricity Planning to Encourage Development of Waste-to-Energy Plants and Solar Power Plants on Lake Surfaces

        According to the report of "Vietnam Express" on January 1st, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam stated at the meeting for implementing the implementation plan of the Eighth Power Planning and adjusting the Eighth Power Planning that it supports local investment in the construction of waste-to-energy power stations and will give priority to including the photovoltaic power generation projects on the lake surface in the planning.

        Officials from the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that the scale of waste-to-energy power generation in the Eighth Power Planning is only 2,200 megawatts, and the allocated capacity to various regions is limited. Currently, there are operational waste-to-energy power stations in Vietnam, including the Tho Son Waste-to-Energy Power Station in Hanoi, which processes 4,000 tons of waste per day and has a power generation capacity of 75 megawatts; the Hung Xuan Waste-to-Energy Power Station in Phu Tho Province, which processes 600 tons of waste per day and has a power generation capacity of 30 megawatts; the Hung Ninh Waste-to-Energy Power Station in Quang Tri Province, which processes 500 tons of waste per day and has a power generation capacity of 25 megawatts; and the Guc Chi Waste-to-Energy Power Station in Ho Chi Minh City, which processes 1,000 tons of waste per day and has a power generation capacity of 50 megawatts. The updated list of renewable energy projects by the Ministry will supplement the 34 waste-to-energy power generation projects proposed by various regions with a total power generation capacity of 621.1 megawatts. Regarding solar power generation projects, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam Nguyen Hoang Long stated that if there are lake solar power stations in various regions, especially those with grid connection lines for hydropower stations on the lake, the lake solar power projects will be prioritized in the planning.

        It is reported that the Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the Eighth Power Planning of Vietnam in May 2023 and the implementation plan of the above-mentioned planning in April 2024. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam intends to submit the plan for adjustment of the Eighth Power Planning for approval on February 28, 2025.