DEMAND SOARS, POWER ECONOMY URGED

The serious electricity shortage in the northern region in May-June 2023 is a valuable lesson on the importance and pivotal role of ensuring electricity security for socioeconomic development.

To firmly ensure energy security, electricity supply security and no power outages in any circumstance, the Prime Minister urged “Serious, practical and effective actions to implement the Prime Minister's Directive on enhancing power efficiency, the national program on economical and efficient use of energy, the program on electricity demand management, green and clean energy conversion; coordinated research to boost domestic production, technological application, innovation, and labor productivity in the energy sector.”

Driven by a strong economic recovery, illustrated by impressive production and export growth indicators in the first quarter of 2024, the demand for electricity dramatically increased up to 11.84% year on year. Therefore, ensuring sufficient electricity supply, improving economic performance and popularizing electricity saving solutions plays an important role.

Mr. Trinh Quoc Vu, Deputy Director of the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said that the ministry directed Provincial/Municipal People's Committees and State-owned enterprises to build plans and adopt electricity efficiency according to Directive No. 20/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on enhancing electricity efficiency in the 2023-2025 period and the following years. The ministry encouraged the implementation of the national program on economical and efficient use of energy in the 2019-2030 period,” he emphasized.

At the same time, in order to prevent power shortages in 2024 and the following years, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade introduced many drastic instructions and directly worked with EVN and relevant agencies to urge effective implementation.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 05/CT-TTg dated February 17, 2024 on ensuring electricity supply during peak dry months in 2024. The Minister of Industry and Trade adopted decisions on approving the plan for electricity supply and operation of the national power grid in 2024 and the plan for electricity supply in peak dry months in 2024 and most recently Directive No. 05 /CT-BCT dated March 28, 2024 on ensuring electricity supply during peak dry months in 2024.

Mr. Nguyen The Huu, Deputy Director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said: In addition to efforts of the electricity sector and communications on electricity conservation solutions nationwide, another effective solution that is considered very practical in electricity shortages or power supply-demand imbalance is to apply the electricity demand-side management (DSM) programs, specifically demand response (DR) program.

In fact, over the past decade, along with the focus on developing renewable energy, promoting energy savings and enhancing energy efficiency, the DSM Program, especially the DR Program, has been researched and gradually adopted by many countries around the world, including Vietnam.

Specifically, according to EVN's report, in May-June 2023, the total adjusted reduced capacity of customers actively participating in the DR Program was nearly 500MW at a time. This contributed significantly to easing pressures of supply and demand imbalance in the power system as well as reducing the need to end or cut power supply due to lack of power in the national power system.

In the general global context, primary energy sources (coal, oil, gas) are increasingly depleted in contrast to the growing energy consumption, electricity consumption and worsening climate change. To ensure electricity supply security, energy security and sustainable development, in addition to paying attention to supply-side development, many countries around the world have also paid much attention to the demand side.

“Setting the goals and benefits of demand-side management programs in the current context as well as looking beyond Vietnam to 2050, perhaps, programs and solutions on economical and efficient use of electricity coupled with DSM/DR Programs will be sustainable and effective solutions to achieve Vietnam’s commitments at COP26 and ensure national energy security,” Huu affirmed.

Recently, the Electricity Saving Solution Community (ESS Community) was officially launched by more than 20 co-founders. The birth of the ESS Community is an answer to challenges to economical and efficient use of electricity and also marks additional bright and meaningful points that help support the Vietnam Electricity Saving Network (VESN) to carry out training, coaching, consulting and communication activities on economical and efficient use of electricity more effectively.

Source: VCCI