Power plants cut production due to coal shortage

The decline in power production is seen at Nghi Son 1, Vung Ang 1 and Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plants in the central region and Duyen Hai 1 in the Mekong delta, the national utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said in a report Wednesday.

Hai Phong thermal plant in the north has shut down three out of four turbines, it added.

This has led to a shortage of 3,000 megawatts of electricity.

The decline came as coal delivery to EVN plants was 23 percent short of its need for the first quarter.

As the country’s two biggest coal miners Vinacomin and Dong Bac struggled to have enough supply, there could be electricity shortage starting April, EVN stated.

Vietnam, especially the northern region, usually has high power demand between May and July due to high heat.

The state-run Vinacomin reported earlier this month that the shortage of miners in the first two months due to Covid-19 and surging import prices have caused its supply to fall.

As of March 14, the company had provided only 74 percent of what it promised to thermal power plants for the first quarter.

The company has also sought official approval to raise selling prices as import rates increase. It has not hiked prices for the last two years.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has ordered Vinacomin to ensure that there would be no coal shortage under any circumstances.

Coal-fired plants accounted for 43.6 percent of total power generation in February, according to EVN.

Vietnam promised to target net zero emissions by 2050 at the 2021 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland last November.