Denmark pledges to help Vietnam develop green energy

EOR 19 is a collaborative initiative of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority and the Danish Energy Agency under the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. The report presents three scenarios to achieve the goal of reducing coal consumption and hydropower dependence as well as saving energy and promoting the use of renewable energy in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said the report was compiled with high quality data, using high-level models to prepare power development scenarios in particular and energy development scenarios in general. It also provides useful information about electricity and energy system development in the short and long term in accordance with the Vietnamese government’s environmental protection and energy security-oriented sustainable energy development roadmap. The report also provides some information on the development of Power Development Master Plan 8 as well as Vietnam’s national plan for energy development.

According to Morten Baek, 25 years ago, coal was considered the “king” of the energy industry but nowadays wind and solar energy have become the cheapest renewable energy in the world. Renewable energy can create jobs and increase energy independence, he said. Vietnam has made impressive progress since it began energy cooperation with Denmark 25 years ago.

However, Vietnam now needs to address the problems of rising energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, he added. Both Vietnam and Denmark have abundant sources of renewable energy, and Vietnam even has more solar radiation than Denmark and has a significant source of wind energy, Baek said. Vietnam must now decide how to use this green energy efficiently, he added.

Baek said EOR 19 mentions discoveries and provides recommendations that allow policy makers and planners to address energy issues. The report shows that Vietnam can make its own renewable energy decisions without affecting economic growth, and green growth will contribute to the country’s growth.

Denmark has committed to assisting Vietnam in building a greener and cheaper energy system and realizing the recommendations of the Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019.

Theo VEN