Vietnam has abundant renewable energy resources, yet coal imports continue to rise. (Photo: iStock)
Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in solar power generation, and the government has actively set policies to promote renewable energy. However, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that Vietnam's coal imports will surpass Taiwan in 2024, making it one of the top five global coal importers for the first time.
The primary reason for this is the country's strong energy demand, coupled with the slow development of its power grid.
Insufficient power grid limits renewable growth
To achieve net zero by 2050, the Vietnamese government is gradually reducing the share of coal in its energy mix and plans to cut it to 20% within six years, a 20 percentage point decrease from its current level.
