2026 power technology handbook launched to support green energy transition

HÀ NỘI — The 2026 edition of the Việt Nam Technology Catalogue for the Power Sector was launched on May 12 as a key reference document to support long-term energy planning and the country’s transition toward net-zero emissions by 2050.The handbook was unveiled under the Việt Nam – Denmark Energy Partnership Programme (DEPP3) by the Electricity Authority of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the Danish Energy Agency.The publication comes as Việt Nam faces rising electricity demand driven by rapid economic growth and industrial expansion, while also seeking to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under its international climate commitments.Speaking at the launching ceremony in Hà Nội, Deputy Director of the Electricity Authority of Việt Nam Trịnh Quốc Vũ said that the electricity demand is expected to grow sharply in the coming years as Việt Nam aims to become a high-income country by 2045.Under the revised Eighth National Power Development Plan (PDP8), the country aims to ensure sufficient electricity supply to support socio-economic growth.Power demand is projected to increase by nearly 12 per cent annually during 2026-30 to support the double-digit economic growth target.Việt Nam also pledged at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.According to the updated Nationally Determined Contribution in 2022, the country also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15.8 per cent using domestic resources and by up to 43.5 per cent with international support by 2030.Expected to account for more than 73 per cent of Việt Nam’s total greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030, the power sector has become central to the country’s decarbonisation strategy.Vũ said the DEPP3 programme, funded by the Danish government, is supporting Việt Nam through technical assistance projects focused on long-term energy planning, database development, energy scenario modelling and offshore wind development.One of the programme’s core outputs is the Việt Nam Technology Catalogue for the Power Sector series, first introduced in 2019 and updated in 2021 and 2023.The latest edition for 2025-26 includes three publications covering electricity generation technologies, energy storage and renewable fuels, and, for the first time, energy transmission and transport technologies.The publications are expected to help policymakers, investors, researchers and training institutions make decisions based on scientific analysis and practical data.Nicolai Prytz, Denmark's ambassador to Việt Nam, said recent geopolitical disruptions had demonstrated how vulnerable global energy systems remain to supply shocks and price volatility.Stressing that energy policy today is also security policy, he said Việt Nam has significant potential for renewable energy, particularly in wind and solar power, and has emerged as one of the region’s leaders in renewable energy development.However, Việt Nam needs to accelerate the progress in energy transition to sustain high economic growth and maintain attractiveness to foreign investors,Building a green and sustainable energy system requires not only ambition, but also reliable data and technical analysis, he said. — VNS