Statement of the Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition on Vietnam's PDP8

The Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition criticizes Vietnam's eighth power development plan (PDP8), arguing that it preserves a reliance on fossil fuels and sets unambitious renewable energy targets despite the country's potential for clean energy leadership.

• Vietnam's PDP8 aims to increase the capacity of hydropower, wind, and solar power to over 70 GW by 2030, which is an increase from 17 GW in 2020 and the previous PDP7 target of 45.8 GW. However, the group describes this as a "lackluster target," noting that the resulting renewable energy share of 30.9% to 39% by 2030 is lower than the share of over 44% recorded in 2013.
• The PDP8 maintains a significant role for coal, anticipating 4.3 GW of new capacity by 2030 to keep coal at 20% of total national installed capacity. The plan also promotes fuel conversion using ammonia and biomass for plants that have operated for 20 years, as well as for older plants where retrofitting is possible.
• The plan significantly expands the use of fossil gas, with domestic gas and imported LNG projected to comprise 24.8% of the power mix (37.33 GW) by 2030. Specifically, LNG is expected to grow from 0% currently to 14.9% by 2030. By 2050, at least 7.9 GW of LNG or domestic gas is expected to remain, while the remainder is intended to convert to hydrogen.
• The working group asserts that Vietnam is the primary driver of fossil gas expansion in Southeast Asia, with 31 power plants totaling 76.9 GW, representing nearly half of the region's total pipeline. They argue that relying on hydrogen and ammonia as transition fuels is an expensive strategy that does not truly support decarbonization, as these production methods remain costly and emit high levels of greenhouse gases.
• The document notes that a projected 47% renewable energy share by 2030 is contingent upon the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and international climate commitments. The group calls on financiers and developers from the EU, Russia, Japan, Thailand, and the US to stop promoting LNG and instead support the deployment of renewables.

APA

TrendAsia (2023). Statement of the Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition on Vietnam's PDP8. Trend Asia. https://trendasia.org/en/statement-of-the-southeast-asian-working-group-on-fossil-gas-and-energy-transition-on-vietnams-pdp8/

Chicago

TrendAsia. Statement of the Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition on Vietnam's PDP8. Trend Asia, 2023. https://trendasia.org/en/statement-of-the-southeast-asian-working-group-on-fossil-gas-and-energy-transition-on-vietnams-pdp8/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=TrendAsia |title=Statement of the Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition on Vietnam's PDP8 |publisher=Trend Asia |date=30 May 2023 |url=https://trendasia.org/en/statement-of-the-southeast-asian-working-group-on-fossil-gas-and-energy-transition-on-vietnams-pdp8/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{trendasia2023statement, author = {TrendAsia}, title = {{Statement of the Southeast Asian Working Group on Fossil Gas and Energy Transition on Vietnam's PDP8}}, publisher = {Trend Asia}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://trendasia.org/en/statement-of-the-southeast-asian-working-group-on-fossil-gas-and-energy-transition-on-vietnams-pdp8/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }