Vietnam’s power plants facing coal shortages

HANOI: Coal-fired energy vegetation in Vietnam are dealing with a scarcity of coal provides after COVID-19 infections disrupted the operations of native miners and as a result of excessive world value of importing the gas, the federal government mentioned on Thursday.

Energy vegetation operated by state utility EVN solely obtained final month 69% of coal agreed in contracts with state-run miners Vinacomin and Dong Bac, the federal government mentioned in a press release.

Vietnam, a producing hub with one of many quickest rising economies in Asia, is closely reliant on coal for energy era.

Vinacomin, the nation’s largest coal miner, mentioned its operations had been affected by a scarcity of miners due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the assertion mentioned.

“The Ukraine-Russia battle has additionally pushed up costs for oil, gasoline and coal in… worldwide markets,” the federal government mentioned, including that sanctions associated to the disaster had additionally damage delivery actions.

Vietnam turned from a web coal exporter to a web importer practically a decade in the past, with most of its imports at present equipped by Indonesia, Australia and Russia.

The nation’s coal imports within the first two months of 2022 fell 17.9% from a 12 months earlier to three.89 million tonnes, customs knowledge confirmed, although the worth greater than doubled to $859 million.

Its home coal output rose 5.3% within the January-February interval from a 12 months earlier to 7.12 million tonnes, based on authorities knowledge.

The Ministry of Business and Commerce has mentioned Vietnam would restrict its coal exports at 2 million tonnes this 12 months.

The federal government has ordered coal mining corporations to take all needed measures to spice up manufacturing and meet provide contracts.

“There should not be a scarcity of coal for electrical energy era in any circumstances,” the assertion mentioned.

Vietnam has in current weeks additionally been dealing with a shortfall of petroleum merchandise after its largest refinery in January reduce its manufacturing on account of a dispute over crude procurement.

The nation has additionally mentioned it could have to double the put in quantity of coal-fired electrical era by 2030.