By the end of 2016, the total installed capacity was approximately 38,553 MW and power generation was 164.31 billion kWh. According to Vietnam Electricity (EVN), power output in Vietnam increased at 10.84% CAGR in the period from 2011 to 2015. In 2015, power output reached 143.7 billion kWh. In the first 10 months of 2016, total power output reached 132.6 billion kWh, 11.34% higher than total power output in the same period in 2015. EVN’s total power output forecast for Vietnam in 2016 is 159.1 billion kWh, 10.72% higher than total power output in 2015.

By the end of 2016, 100% of the districts were connected to electricity; 99.59% of the communes with 98.22% of rural households have access to the power grid with a target reaching close to 100 percent by 2020. 

There are three main types of power plant in Vietnam: hydropower, coal-fired thermal, and gas thermal. In terms of installed capacity, as of October 2016, total installed capacity of hydropower plants is 17,022 MW, coal-fired plants’ is 12,705 MW and gas thermal plants’ is 7,684 MW. Oil-fired thermal plants’ capacity is 1,154 MW while total capacity of other power plant types such as wind and biomass power is negligible at around 109 MW. Since hydropower plants can only operate at full capacity during rainy seasons, total installed capacity does not fully reflect the power output from each group. 

The Vietnamese government aims to increase the share of capacity from coal-fired thermal plants (32.8% in October 2016) to 42.7% in 2020 and 49.3% in 2025. The share of power output from coal-fired (37.05% in 2016) is targeted to increase to 49.3% in 2020 and 55% in 2025.

Coal Power Station In Vietnam

Station	Capacity (MW)	Total (MW)
Cam Pha Power Station	2 x 300	600
Quang Ninh Power Station	4 x 300	1200
Ninh Binh Power Station	4 x 25	100
Hai Dng Thermal Power Plantuo	2 x 600	1200