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Energy Policy

Vietnam energy 2019 energy terms

7 November 2019

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Vietnam

NDO – A report on Vietnam energy prospects was announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) in collaboration with the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, providing an overview of Vietnam’s opportunities and challenges faced in developing sustainable energy.

The announcement of the Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019 was hosted in Hanoi on November 4 by the two ministries and the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam.

At the event, Jakob Stenby Lundsager, Long Term Advisor to MOIT for the Danish Energy Partnership Programme in Vietnam, said that Vietnam had imported pure coal since 2015, and the trend is increasing. From 2020 to 2030, fuel imports will increase by 3, and by 2050, it will be 8 times higher than at present. This shows that three-fourths of Vietnam’s energy consumption is from imported energy.

Therefore, Jakob Stenby Lundsager proposed, Vietnam will soon study the reduction of future coal demand and take early action in coal power consumption. Promoting the development of renewable energy, energy-saving, and developing thermal gas power may contribute to reversing the current coal consumption trend.

According to Morten Baek, Permanent Secretary, Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, the report showed that Vietnam is still using electricity entirely dependent on natural resources that are not renewable, easily polluting the environment, and is dependent on the supply of coal and hydropower.

In order to achieve the goal of promoting renewable energy development, the Danish side also has policy recommendations for Vietnam, such as reverse the trend of high coal consumption, increase energy-efficient facilities, and support large-scale energy-saving investment projects.

Energy Economy

New deal to support investments in sustainable infrastructure in Southeast Asia

7 November 2019

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ASEAN

The Asian Development Bank has signed an agreement with the World Economic Forum to accelerate the funding of sustainable infrastructure development projects in Southeast Asia.

ADB and WEF will accelerate the flow of private and public finance through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Read more about sustainability here

ASEAN is owned by the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership to mobilise sustainable investments in emerging and developing economies.

The aim of the WEF-ADB agreement is to help countries in the region to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

Justin Wood, WEF’s Head of Regional Agenda Asia Pacific, said: “Under the agreement, ADB and the Forum will support the ASEAN Hub’s efforts to develop a strategy and a list of activities, including knowledge sharing among public and private sectors and policy proposals for areas needing development finance. Supporting local decision making with global best practices is key to boosting the flow of capital into investments that advance sustainable development, including important infrastructure projects.

Sustainability is a hot topic disrupting the energy industry and is also set for discussion at the Asian Utility Week and POWERGEN Asia conference which takes place on 22-24 September 2020. Click here to register to attend and for more information about the event.

“The ADB–World Economic Forum agreement will allow SDIP’s ASEAN Hub to expand its capacity to work with diverse stakeholders, including international financiers, development finance institutions, private funds, and governments, to create the conditions for increasing and accelerating sustainable investments in ASEAN.”

ADB Director General for Southeast Asia Mr Ramesh Subramaniam, said: “As Southeast Asia faces a huge financing gap in sustainable infrastructure, it is vital to expand the use of private capital funds, which can also bring advanced technologies and management efficiencies to development financing.

“In particular, we need to accelerate the use of public and private financing to build climate-resilient infrastructure and provide equitably and environmentally and financially sustainable growth that the region needs.”

Renewables

SingTel wants renewable energy to power its signal towers

7 November 2019

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Singapore

Wireless carrier expresses concern over climate change

Singapore Telecommuncations Ltd., South-East Asia’s biggest wireless carrier, is worried about the impact of climate change on its business and wants to turn to green energy to cut its carbon footprint.

“The 140-year-old company will sign an agreement by mid-2020 to purchase renewable power in Australia, a market that accounts for half of the telecommunications firms revenue,” according to Andrew Buay, head of sustainability at SingTel group.

“The economics of using renewable energy in Australia is at par or is better than power generated from fossil fuels,” Buay said in an interview, adding SingTel is also in talks for similar accords in Singapore.

The Australian pact will help the company meet as much as a fifth of the electricity needed to power its wireless networks in the country. SingTel is collecting data to study how climate change increases costs as governments levy carbon taxes, insurers charge higher premiums and investors demand greener options.

SingTel does have a big carbon footprint and the goal is to become carbon neutral by 2050, he said.

Renewables

Wind energy in Cambodia: deal for first wind farm with 10 wind turbines

7 November 2019

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Cambodia

The government and French-owned The Blue Circle (Cambodia) Co Ltd will soon sign an agreement to build a wind farm in Kampot province – the first of its kind in the Kingdom.

The agreement comes as the government has made efforts to diversify its power sources to achieve its target of covering 100 per cent of all villages nationwide by the end of next year.

Victor Jona, the director-general of the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s General Department of Energy, said on Tuesday that The Blue Circle plans to build at least 10 wind turbines with an 80MW capacity on top of Bokor mountain in Teuk Chhou district’s Koh Touch commune.

Speaking at a conference in Phnom Penh, Jona said negotiations on power tariffs between the firm and the government are scheduled to take place soon.

“The Blue Circle is an energy firm from France and the ministry has issued it a licence to conduct a feasibility study in Kampot and Mondulkiri provinces. Due to Bokor mountain’s wind energy potential, the company will invest in the 80MW first phase,” Jona said.

The cost of investing in wind energy is between $2 million and $3 million per megawatt, he said.

The Blue Circle has been conducting a feasibility study of wind power in Mondulkiri and Kampot provinces since last year, and in March it revealed that Cambodia has potential in wind energy investment.

The firm said Cambodia has the potential to generate 500MW from wind energy. It currently invests in wind energy in Thailand and Vietnam.

Although the project would become the first of its kind in Cambodia, Jona said negotiations on tariffs between the firm and state-run electricity supplier Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) are important.

This, he said, is because the EdC aimed to procure power sources at lower prices in line with government policy.

Last year, Cambodia consumed 2,650MW of electricity, a 15 per cent increase compared to 2017. Of the amount, 442MW was imported from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. The rest was produced in Cambodia from coal-fired plants, hydropower dams and solar farms.

The government aims for all 14,168 of the Kingdom’s villages to have access to some source of electricity by next year, and at least 90 per cent of households to have access to grid-quality electricity by 2030.

Electricity/Power Grid

Smart grid initiative to take centre stage at Thailand’s future energy summit

7 November 2019

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Thailand

Thailand’s smart grid initiative will be at the centre of discussion of the upcoming The Future Energy Show Thailand 2019 between November 27 and 28, 2019.

With Thailand’s rapidly developing economy and growing population, it already leads Southeast Asia in renewable energy installed capacity, and with the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) targeting 30% renewable energy by 2036, billions of dollars are being invested in its energy transformation.

The Smart Grid initiative, part of the Ministry of Energy’s Master Plan, maps out a framework for energy supply security, grid resiliency, and energy efficiency, working in tandem with the Thailand 4.0 Initiative. Thailand’s state-owned utilities alone will spend over US$6 billion (Bt 200 billion) on implementing smart grid projects between now and 2036.

Featuring insights from over 130 outstanding speakers across six free-to-attend stages, attendees will enjoy insights on the latest technologies in solar, energy storage, wind, smart grids and smart energy, power generation, transmission and distribution and more.

Keynote speakers include Bundit Sapachai, president of BGPG; Dr. Akarin Suwannarat, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Energy Absolute; and, Dr. Surat Tanterdtid, enterprise architecture chief for IT Strategic Planning at EGAT

The event will also feature addresses from the Ministry of Energy and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency and all four major state utilities will be represented as speakers.

The two-day event is expected to bring together 1,500 attendees from technology and equipment manufacturers, turnkey suppliers, project developers, large energy users, property owners and more, alongside an exhibition featuring exciting solution providers and innovative start-ups changing the face of Thailand’s energy industry.

Others

Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report 2019 announced

6 November 2019

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Vietnam

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report 2019 revealed enhanced energy efficiency and development of renewable energy at the highest level can deliver large and cost-effective carbon dioxide reductions, and reduce air pollution and dependency on fuel imports.
Such a transition would require early investments in new coal power plants that would reverse the current trend of increasing coal consumption, said Jakob Stenby Lundsager, a long-term advisor of the Danish Energy Partnership Programme, at a press meeting on Tuesday.
He also emphasised energy efficiency to be a priority as results show it was much more cost-efficient to invest in this than in more power plant capacity and that energy efficiency can help reduce carbon dioxide and fuel imports.
The advisor also recommended a stable and transparent framework needs conditions for wind and solar power expansion, including plans and targets, a transparent and co-ordinated approval system for projects (one-stop-shop), and international standard power purchase agreement.
Results showed that a 40 per cent of renewable energy in the power mix by 2030 in combination with energy efficiency was feasible, would not increase costs, and was needed to limit fuel imports, he said.
The advisor finally noted the importance of investments in the transmission grid and electricity storage capacity, which enables integration of maximum renewable energy capacity.
Morten Baek, Danish Permanent Secretary for Climate, Energy and Utilities, added: “The Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report 2019 is a landmark in our co-operation within energy modelling.
“It offers solutions to many of the challenges Việt Nam is facing, and could contribute to Việt Nam’s Power Development Plan 8.
“New calculations show how Việt Nam can reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 39 per cent in 2050 compared to existing national plans. That equates to approximately 370 million tonnes carbon dioxide.
“The Vietnamese authorities can rely on the report in realising a green and cost-effective energy transition, whilst reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Việt Nam in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark in Việt Nam and the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities organised the announcement of the Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report 2019 in Hà Nội on Monday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoàng Quốc Vượng emphasised that “Việt Nam is a country that has a relatively fast and high growth rate compared to other countries in the region and world”.
The growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) was 7.26 per cent on average in the 2001-10 period, then down to 5.91 per cent in the 2011-15 period and gradually recovered to 6.14 per cent per year between 2011-18.
In parallel with economic growth, energy that met the economic demand increased accordingly, the deputy minister said.
Energy demand increased by about 10 per cent in the period of 2001-10, electricity demand increased by 13 per cent per year same period and about 11 per cent between 2011-18.
In addition, the deputy minister reviewed and presented research results on power and energy development scenarios and policy recommendations on key issues related to the development of the country’s electricity and energy system in the long term.
He also provided information for the building of the eighth Power Development Plan as well as the national energy development plan.
The Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report 2019 is developed by the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade in close collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency and supported by the Danish Embassy in Hà Nội.
This report is a central milestone in the Energy Partnership Program between Việt Nam and Denmark’s long-term scenario modelling activities and supports the development of Việt Nam’s energy system in a more sustainable way through implementation of cost-optimised policy and planning.
In 2013, Việt Nam and Denmark entered into a long-term co-operation agreement for the purpose of strengthening Việt Nam’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Danish Energy Agency co-operated with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Việt Nam through the joint Energy Partnership Programme between the two countries (DEPP).
The programme is currently in its second phase and covers long-term scenario modelling of the energy sector, the integration of renewable energy in the power grid and energy efficiency in the industrial sector.
The first edition of the Việt Nam Energy Outlook Report was published in 2017. This year’s report has been taken to a new level, with an updated and enriched modelling and strengthened scenario analysis.
It is expected the Energy Outlook Report will continue to be published once every two years, ensuring that the newest data and model improvements are used to back up decisions and discussions on long-term energy planning in Việt Nam. — VNS

Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/537999/viet-nam-energy-outlook-report-2019-announced.html#uzofZVxOKLbT2Reg.99

Energy Cooperation

Danish Permanent Secretary for Climate, Energy and Utilities visits Vietnam

6 November 2019

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Vietnam

Danish Permanent Secretary for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Mr. Morten Bæk visited 4 – 6 November 2019 Vietnam to enhance the government-to-government partnership between Vietnam and Denmark within the energy sector.

During the two-day visit beginning on November 4, Mr. Morten Bæk worked with different Vietnamese senior officials exchanging views on strategic issues concerning decarbonization of the energy sector, according to the Danish Embassy in Hanoi.

Climate change and commercial relations between the two countries were main issues during talks between the permanent secretary and leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Nguyen Van Binh, the Chairman for Economic Affairs of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, and Phan Xuan Dung, the Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment of the National Assembly.

Mr. Morten Bæk said “the energy partnership between Vietnam and Denmark is strong, efficient and produces tangible results” and “Denmark is committed to consolidating and expanding the collaboration in the coming years.”

One of the highlights of Mr. Morten Bæk’s visit was “the launch of the Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019” which is a landmark in the two countries’ cooperation within energy modelling.

Denmark signed in November 2011 a joint declaration with the government of Vietnam aimed at building a strategic partnership within the areas of climate change, environment, energy and green growth.

This entails continued support to development and implementation of strategies, programs and action plans of Vietnam in the field of climate change, environment, energy and green growth.

Accordingly, the two countries agree to encourage the use of Danish expertise and technology within energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The first phase of the Energy Partnership Programme between Denmark and Vietnam (DEPP) started in 2013. The second phase started in 2017 and will be completed in 2020. A third phase with a 5-year duration is expected to start in 2020.

The program, which is implemented by the Danish Energy Agency and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, supports the engagements namely (1) Capacity development for long-term energy sector planning with the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority; (2) Capacity development for Renewable Energy Integration into the power system with the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam; (3) Low carbon development in the industrial sector with the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department.

Some highlights of DEPP achievements include (1) Technology catalogue for power generation and storage technologies published in May 2019; (2) Energy Outlook Report 2019 published in November 2019; (3) Support to capacity improvement of the Vietnamese power system operator in renewable energy forecast; (4) Support to power market development including Grid Code revision and securing the availability of ancillary services; (5) Improved energy efficiency regulatory framework and enforcement capacity at provincial level and on national level.

Renewables

Govt promotes environmentally-friendly hydro projects

6 November 2019

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Lao PDR

The government is encouraging the building of environmentally-friendly hydropower plants to ensure green growth and sustainable poverty reduction, according to a senior government official.
“The government is highly encouraged to promote environmentally-friendly and sustainable hydropower projects,” Deputy Minister of Natural Resource and Environment, Ms Bounkham Vorachit, said on November 5.
“Therefore, all development projects need to be comprehensively studied to assess and avoid impacts on the environment and local communities,” she added.

Ms Bounkham reiterated the government’s policy on hydropower development at the 8th Regional Stakeholder Forum of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which is taking place at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane until today.
At this forum, which is attended by representatives of the Mekong countries, academia, civil society and the media, Ms Bounkham said the government’s decision to promote hydropower development was based on the country’s potential with respect to water resources.
“I believe that no nation desires to live in poverty for a long period of time and that each country has varying potential for social and economic development,” she said.
Laos is a small country with abundant resources so its policy is to encourage investment in the development of hydropower, as the growth of this sector will make a significant contribution to poverty reduction, she added.
Ms Bounkham said that another reason for Laos wanting to promote hydropower was that it was a clean industry and a renewable source of energy.
Laos has always attached importance to the principles of sustainable development and green growth through the implementation of its obligations under the relevant international agreements, she said.
She added that to comply with the 1995 Mekong Agreement, the Lao government submitted a proposal for the Luang Prabang hydropower project to the MRC and its member countries to seek additional consultation and inputs from member countries and stakeholders.
“We hope that today’s meeting will give stakeholders more understanding, not only about the development of Mekong mainstream hydropower projects, but also enable contribution to discussions and inputs on our next basin development strategy for 2021-2030 as well as the MRC strategy plan,” Ms Bounkham said.
She also stressed the need for cooperation and support from stakeholders to ensure sustainable development of the Mekong.
“I realise that the challenges of sustainable development cannot be addressed without significant support and cooperation from our stakeholders, including Member Countries, Dialogue Partners, Development Partners, civil society organisations, research institutes, private sector, and the media,” Ms Bounkham said.

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