Vietnam to prioritize waste-to-energy projects in adjusted power development plan VIII

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced plans to maximize support for waste-to-energy project proposals submitted by local governments.

At an online conference with representatives from all 63 provinces and cities on Tuesday to discuss adjustments to the Power Development Plan VIII (PDP VIII), the ministry (MoIT) emphasized its commitment to fully incorporate waste-to-energy projects into planning when proposed by localities.

Nguyen Tuyen Tam, head of planning at the MoIT's Agency of Electricity and Renewable Energy, noted that under the PDP VIII, the nationwide waste-to-energy capacity is capped at just over 2,200 MW, with limited allocations to localities.

"Moving forward, adjustments to the plan will aim to accommodate local waste resource capacities and assess their impact on the national power grid," he told the event.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long remarked: "The country is entering a critical phase of growth, with a goal of achieving double-digit economic expansion. Developing diverse and reliable power sources is vital to this effort."

He requested localities, corporations, and relevant agencies to provide necessary information and data before January 5, 2025 for power development calculations.

The ministry plans to submit the adjusted Power Plan VIII draft to the Prime Minister before February 28, 2025 for approval.

On April 1, 2024, the PM issued Decision No. 262/QD-TTg, approving the implementation scheme of the PDP VIII for 2021-2030, with vision until 2050. This included a list of renewable energy projects across 46 of Vietnam's 63 provinces and cities.

For localities yet to propose renewable energy projects, Decision 262 assigned the MoIT to work with local authorities to complete a comprehensive list of projects for prime ministerial approval.

In line with this directive, the ministry has collaborated with the remaining 17 provinces to finalize a list of renewable energy projects, updating project progress and making adjustments based on proposals from local people's committees.

As of December 28, 2024, the updated planning includes 123 onshore wind power projects with a combined capacity of 7,697.9 MW; 138 small hydropower projects with a total capacity of 1,484.58 MW; 21 biomass power projects totaling 414 MW; and 34 waste-to-energy projects with a capacity of 621.1 MW.

On December 28, the PM issued Decision No. 1682/QD-TTg, approving updates and additions to the implementation scheme of PDP VIII.