Industry Ministry Warns of Potential Long-Term Power Cuts in Northern Region Due to Shortfall

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the northern region of Vietnam is facing an electricity shortfall of 30.9-50.8 million kilowatt-hours per day, which could lead to long periods of power cuts. The availability of electricity in the north, including imports, is only 59.2% of installed capacity, at 17,500-17,900 MW, while demand is currently 20,000 MW and could increase to 23,500-24,000 MW due to hot weather.

The region’s hydroelectricity, a major source of electricity, has been hit by heat and drought, causing water in reservoirs to dry up. As of June 6, most large dams in the north had reached dead storage levels, with only the Hoa Binh hydropower dam having water and able to generate power until June 12-13. The hydropower shortfall is currently 5,000 MW and is expected to rise to 7,000 MW when Hoa Binh falls to dead storage levels.

Thermal power plants are also facing technical issues after being forced to operate at maximum capacity for a long time, with thermal power supply only at 76.6% of capacity. The Ministry has instructed Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to mobilize all resources, maintain thermal power output, and quickly fix glitches in power plants. Efforts are being made to bring renewable power plants into the grid quickly.