HCMC – Major coal suppliers in Vietnam have announced plans to increase their coal supply for thermal power stations this year.
The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) and the Dong Bac Corporation are set to supply a combined 48.35 million tons of coal to coal-fired power plants, up 10-15% compared to 2022.
Vinacomin has already supplied nearly 21 million tons of coal to thermal power plants in the first six months of this year, marking a 15% increase compared to the same period last year.
To meet the growing demand, Vinacomin plans to deliver an additional 10,000 tons of coal to each of Vietnam Electricity Group’s (EVN) coal-fired power plants in June and July, surpassing the contracted amount with a total transport volume of 1.2 million tons.
Similarly, Dong Bac Corporation has urged its member companies to enhance their coal supply to the electricity sector. In the first half of this year, Dong Bac supplied 5.7 million tons of coal to power stations, reaching 57% of the contract volume.
The company estimates that it will deliver 8.65 million tons of coal this year, exceeding the contracted amount by 800,000 tons.
The recent heatwaves in Vietnam have led to a surge in electricity consumption, reaching record highs in recent weeks.
Thermal power plants consumed 21 million tons of coal in the first half of this year, representing 54.5% of the contract volume. It is projected that coal consumption will reach 39.7 million tons this year, a 15% year-on-year increase.
The El Nino phenomenon has caused heatwaves, drought, and water shortages in many parts of the country, which has impacted the operations of hydropower plants and increased reliance on coal-fired power plants.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has warned that northern provinces may experience a daily shortage of between 30 and 50 million kWh, leading to power outages throughout the region.
