On May 21, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has rejected a Reuters article which quoted sources as saying that Vietnamese authorities have called on Apple supplier Foxconn to “voluntarily cut power use by 30 percent at its assembly plants in the north of the country.” The sources were quoted as saying the notices were “an encouragement,” not a requirement and had not had any impact on production.

So far, power supply has been stable

EVN leaders affirmed that the rumour was inaccurate, and the country's power supply has remained stable since the beginning of the year.

To draw experience from last summer's 20-day power shortages in the north, the Prime Minister has stressed the importance of ensuring sufficient power supply for 2024 and upcoming years, saying there should be no shortfalls of electricity under any circumstances.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), with its role as a supervising ministry over the power sector, has taken numerous measures to ensure an ample electricity supply during the summer. Managers and operators of power plants and systems were told to report to the ministry on a weekly basis.

EVN has established a steering committee to ensure power supply in 2024, as well as programs to promote voluntary energy-saving solutions. In addition, the power company has strengthened cooperation with local governments to offer and stay up-to-date with power supply solutions in the hot season and the entire year 2024.

According to EVN, the measures have been working. In the first four months of 2024, despite a 14.29 percent increase in consumption compared to the same period last year, EVN said the electricity supply has been stable and sufficient. The company reported a maximum output of 56.89 billion kWh, a 142.5 percent increase year-on-year, with all power sources being utilized including coal-fired and gas-fired power, renewable energy and hydropower.

As the economy recovers, along with early summer heatwaves, EVN said an increase in demand for electricity were anticipated and plans have been put into motion to address potential shortages.

Accordingly, including imports, Vietnam's total electricity supply is projected at 310.6 billion kWh, a 10.4 increase compared to 2023. According to MoIT, measures have been taken to prepare scenarios in which power consumption reaches as high as 313.4 billion kWh.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been no reports of power shortages in the north despite some large businesses ramping up consumption by as much as 10 percent. The ministry said no effort was and is to be spared to ensure a stable electricity supply this upcoming summer. Meanwhile, collaboration among large power users and local communities to conserve electricity has resulted in a more flexible production schedule to lessen the burden put on the national grid during peak hours.