“If nuclear power is overlooked, Vietnam would struggle to find an alternative energy source capable of achieving its estimated annual growth of 10%. At the same time, it is crucial to encourage efficient and economical energy consumption,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Binh at the Institute of Management Economics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, in an interview with The Saigon Times. A final choice? The Saigon Times: According to National Power Development Plan VIII, by 2030, Vietnam’s total power generation capacity will reach 150,000MW. This means adding more than 10,000MW of new power annually while significantly diversifying energy sources to achieve the Net Zero target by 2050. Does this context necessitate the early resumption of nuclear power? Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Binh: Using electricity requires maintaining an almost absolute balance between supply and demand. Meanwhile, electricity consumption fluctuates over time, with significant differences within a day and between seasons. In 2019, Vietnam’s power generation structure showed coal-fired power stations met 41.6% of demand, hydropower plants 37.7%, gas-fueled stations 18%, and other sources the remainder. However, Vietnam’s hydropower potential has already been fully tapped, while non-renewable fossil fuel resources for electricity generation are being depleted. Regarding renewable energy, […]