BORNews - Vietnam's state-run utility EVN on Wednesday called on citizens to save energy as it warned of electricity shortages from next month due to tight coal supplies.
Several coal-fired power plants operated by EVN have had to cut their run rates
due to a shortage of coal, the group, formally known as Electricity of Vietnam,
said in a statement.
"Coal supplies will continue to face difficulties in the future, and this
has resulted in the risk of a power shortage from April," EVN said in the
statement.
"Turn off electric equipment if not in use, avoid using too many electric
appliances at peak hours and set air conditioners at appropriate levels,"
it added.
Vietnam, a manufacturing hub with one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia,
is increasingly reliant on imported coal for power generation. Coal is
responsible for around a third of its electricity output.
The government said earlier this month the country was facing a shortage of
coal supplies after COVID-19 infections disrupted the operations of local miners
and due to rising global prices of the fuel.
In the first quarter, power plants operated by EVN only received 76.7% of 5.85
million tonnes in agreed supplies, EVN said.
This has forced four major power plants to cut their run rates to 60%-70% of
designed capacity, EVN said.
Vietnam, which turned from a net coal exporter to a net importer nearly a
decade ago, is facing a steep increase in imported coal prices as domestic
production struggles to keep pace with demand.
The country imported 6.5 million tonnes of coal valued at $1.47 billion in the
first quarter, down 25.3% in terms of volume but up 97.3% in terms of value
from a year earlier, according to government data. Its coal output in the
January-March period rose 3.2% from a year earlier to 11.6 million tonnes.
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