Vietnam PM orders power sufficiency as consumption sets record

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered urgent measures to ensure electricity supply during peak demand months, after national power consumption hit a record high of nearly 52,000 megawatts (MW) this week amid scorching heat.

In an urgent directive signed on Tuesday, PM Chinh said electricity consumption reached an all-time peak of 51,672 MW at 1:40 pm on Monday, as a severe and widespread heatwave gripped northern and central Vietnam.

The directive warned that increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather patterns, driven by climate change, pose serious risks to power security, particularly in the north.

The prime minister urged ministries and relevant agencies to ensure the stable, safe, and uninterrupted operation of the national grid throughout 2025 and beyond, stressing that electricity supply must be guaranteed under all circumstances.

PM Chinh instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to accelerate the implementation of the updated national power development plan and monitor fuel supplies, hydropower conditions, and system operations.

Transmission and distribution units were directed to step up maintenance and increase monitoring of key lines, including 500kV and 220kV networks.

The PM also ordered faster construction of major transmission projects, including the 500kV Lao Cai-Vinh Yen and Hai PhongThai Binh lines, and emphasized completing priority works by August.

Vietnam's power system has come under strain during recent hot seasons.

The government has since pledged to strengthen the grid and diversify energy sources, including renewables and imports from Laos.

Bao Anh - Ngoc An / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/06/04-17:58)