Vietnam to reduce import of electricity from China in 2015: official

Vietnam's electricity imports from China will continue to be reduced in 2015 with new power supply in northern Vietnam, said a Vietnamese official on Monday.

Ngo Son Hai, director of National Load Dispatch Center under Vietnam's national electricity group, made the announcement during an interview with local Bao Dau Tu (Vietnam Investment Review), an online newspaper under Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Hai said in 2015, many coal-fired thermal power plants in Vietnam will come into operation including those in northern localities of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, as well as central Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces, bringing large power output to meet the country's demand.

Currently, Vietnam's electricity imports from China are implemented through two voltages including 220kV via northern Lao Cai and Ha Giang provinces and 110kV via Lao Cai, Ha Giang and Quang Ninh.

Vietnam started buying electricity from China in October 2005 at a price of 4.5 U.S. cents per kWh, said the official.

Due to changes in foreign exchange rates between Vietnamese and Chinese currencies, price of electricity imported from China to Vietnam was adjusted to 5.1 U.S. cents per kWh in 2009 and 6.08 U. S. cents per kWh in 2012, Hai told Bao Dau Tu.

China-originated electricity is joining Vietnam's national power grid to supply for 13 northern localities.

Hai quoted a report on operation of electricity market in Vietnam in 2014 as saying that in the third quarter this year, electricity imported from China did not exceed 1.5 percent of total domestic consumption.