A conference being held in HCM City on April 21 to discuss the importance of solar energy development amid sharply rising demand for electricity due to heat waves. — Photo from Công Thương (Industry and Trade) newspaper

HCM CITY — The development of solar energy is crucial to tackling the increasing demand for electricity amid rising temperatures and frequent heat waves, experts told a conference in HCM City on Tuesday.

Power demand this year, especially in the south, has been generally higher than in the same period last year due to the hot weather driving up usage of cooling devices.

Mai Văn Khiêm of the Centre for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting said Việt Nam is suffering from rising temperatures and increasingly intense heat waves.

This year will be the 12th in a row of prolonged hot weather due to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, he said.

The probability of El Niño lasting until the end of 2026 and into early 2027 is very high, which means a high likelihood of continued low rainfall across the country, he warned.

“There is a possibility of insufficient rainfall severely impacting water levels in hydropower reservoirs during the 2027 dry season. In other words, we are looking at a double whammy: increased heatwaves and lack of water for electricity production.”

Nguyễn Quốc Trung, deputy general director of the National Power System Operation and Electricity Market Co. Ltd., said in April national electricity consumption has consistently remained at over 1 billion kWh/day.

It reached a record 1.092 billion kWh on April 8, and could top 1.1 billion kWh after the April 30 and May 1 holidays, putting immense pressure on the grid.

This year is also seeing geopolitical complications, especially the United States–Israel–Iran conflict, disrupting the supply of natural gas, a crucial source of energy for Việt Nam.

Coal-fired power plants are also affected by the crisis, with some coal-exporting countries considering restricting or even banning exports, he said.

Trịnh Quốc Vũ, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s electricity department, said it is important to have backup plans to cope with any sudden surge in electricity demand considering the unpredictable weather, and consumers should do their part in saving power.

Solar energy development important

Experts told the conference that solar energy could help ease the burden on the power grid.

Besides environmental reasons, solar energy also has the advantages of quick installation (as a household can set up solar panels in less than a week) and is unaffected by global complications unlike coal, oil or natural gas.

Vũ said Việt Nam’s total solar power capacity, including rooftop installations and large-scale solar farms, exceeds 19,000 MW, making it one of the leaders in Southeast Asia.

The country's newest power development plan has ambitious targets for solar development, like increasing total capacity to 46,000 MW and having half of all office buildings and households installing solar panels by 2030, he said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted proposals to encourage the adoption of rooftop solar power by households, and submitted them to the Government for approval.

The solar energy targets are well within reach with supporting mechanisms and the removal of administrative bottlenecks.

The conference was held by Công Thương (Industry and Trade) newspaper, the Vietnam Electricity Group and the Southern Power Corporation. — VNS