Hanoi (VNA) - Providing a sufficient source of energy tofacilitate Vietnam’s industrialisation and modernisation while also ensuringnational energy security remained a challenge as Vietnam and the region areimporting more and more energy.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An delivered the statement ata conference held in Hanoi on November 11.

In this context, Vietnam’s energy master plan for 2021-30 with a vision to 2050is expected to build scenarios that will not increase energy costs, preventenergy from becoming a burden of the economy, ensure the nation’s harmonisedenergy development and contribute to promoting the country’s economicdevelopment, An said.

From 1997 to 2019, Vietnam's economy maintained a growth rate of nearly 7 percent.Its energy demand in the recent 10-year period increased 6.5 percent forprimary energy while demand for electricity rose 10.5 percent in the period, henoted.

At the conference, delegates presented the overall energy development plan andsub-sectors planning of oil, gas, coal and electricity.

Nguyen The Thang, Head of the Electrical System Development Department underthe Institute of Energy, said that according to the master plan’s basescenario, commercial electricity will reach 490.8 billion kWh by 2030 and 976billion kWh by 2050, maintaining an increase of 8.3 percent in 2021-30, thendecreasing to 3.4 percent in 2031-50.

 In another scenario, commercialelectricity will reach 523 billion kWh in 2030 and 1.110 billion kWh in 2050.

Nguyen Tai Anh, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Electricity said theMinistry of Industry and Trade, the consulting unit to build the energy masterplan, should consider adding the import and transportation of LNG gas into theplan while evaluating the model of gas import because gas is not similar toother energy sources.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the master plan willhelp provide a comprehensive assessment of national energy supply and demandand connect energy development with the socio-economic-environmentaldevelopment goals set by Vietnam and its commitments to the internationalcommunity.

The MoIT set a target that this plan will ensure the harmonious development ofenergy sub-sectors while also creating favourable conditions for Statemanagement activities in the energy sector.

According to the MoIT, this is the first time that Vietnam has built a masterplan on energy. Therefore, the planning will face many challenges insynchronising and ensuring compatibility with other plans. Notably, drawingmechanisms for the plan requires the participation of many stakeholders./.