Forum talks technological application in energy use

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung pointed out that to meet the increasing demand for energy, Vietnam has maximised hydropower at home, while importing primary energy to serve electricity production. 

Therefore, it is necessary to diversify the supply source of new and renewable energy; as well as improve the capacity, efficiency, sustainability, and adaptation of the domestic energy sector, he said. 

The official also stressed the need to fulfill international commitments towards sustainable development goals. 

Other delegates at the forum said that Vietnam has shifted from an agricultural-based economy, using traditional fuels, to an industrial one fueled by synthetic and modern energy forms. 

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that Vietnam’s demand for commercial energy has increased 9.5% during the 2000-2015 period, which is higher than the country’s GDP growth during the period. In particular, hydroelectricity saw an annual rise of 27.6%; coal, 12.2%; petroleum, 6.2%; and natural gas, 13.4%. 

Delegates said Dung Quat and Nghi Son Oil Refineries are expected to fulfil only 16.5% of the target of 20-30 million tonnes of crude oil set by 2020, thus affecting the implementation of the national energy development strategy by 2020 with a vision towards 2050. 

Given this, the Vietnamese Government has rolled out a policy framework aiming to diversify its energy supply source, developing new and renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, they noted. 

The Ministry of Science and Technology will also work on the application of new and renewable energy, as well as scientific and technological solutions, to efficiently and economically make use of energy. 

At the same time, the ministry will step up international integration to apply the world’s scientific and technological advances in manufacturing energy equipment.