Vietnam's Electricity Consumption Hits Record High
2016 Nuclear Power Plant Introduction Halted
As Vietnam records its highest-ever electricity consumption amid a heatwave, raising concerns about a power shortage, Russia is pushing to export nuclear power plants during President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vietnam. Attention is focused on whether the Vietnamese government, which halted nuclear power plant adoption in 2016, will reconsider reintroducing it.
According to major foreign media on the 22nd, Vietnam's recent power generation and consumption have reached record highs. As of the 14th, the nationwide electricity consumption in Vietnam was 1.03 billion kWh (kilowatt-hours), surpassing the previous record of 1.09 billion kWh per hour set on May 29. As of the 19th, the nationwide power generation was 49.53 GW (gigawatts), exceeding the previous maximum of 47.67 GW recorded on April 27.
Vietnam's state-owned power company EVN stated, "Due to the extreme heat in the northern and central regions, electricity consumption increased in mid-June," urging consumers to save electricity by setting air conditioner temperatures below 26 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, on the 20th, Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom, who accompanied President Putin on his state visit to Vietnam, revealed that the Vietnamese leadership expressed willingness to reconsider nuclear power plant construction, which had been previously halted.
According to major Russian media, CEO Likhachev said, "Vietnam's current leadership has shown a desire to return to the topic of the nuclear power industry," adding, "Once a decision is made, negotiations on (nuclear power plant) construction will automatically resume."
He further explained that during this visit, "We had the opportunity to present our energy proposals to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh," and that Rosatom offered Vietnam both large and medium-small nuclear power plants as well as land-based and offshore small modular reactors (SMRs).
He also added that significant localization efforts would follow the nuclear power plant export, entrusting considerable work to Vietnamese companies. According to the agreement between the two countries during this visit, Rosatom is currently constructing a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, in the 2010s, Vietnam planned to build a total of 14 nuclear power plants by 2030 to alleviate power shortages and selected Russia and Japan as nuclear cooperation partners in 2010. However, in 2016, the newly installed national leadership, including President Tr?n ??i Quang and Prime Minister Nguy?n Xu?n Ph?c, halted nuclear power adoption citing massive construction costs and safety concerns.
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