Vietnam sets bold new goals for solar and wind growth

Vietnam has revised its Power Development Plan 8 to boost energy production by 2030, according to a revised version of its national power plan. It set new targets of 73 GW for solar and 38 GW for onshore wind by 2030, increasing to 296 GW and 230 GW by 2050. The 2023 version had aimed for just 12.8 GW of solar and 21 GW of wind. The update supported Vietnam’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The country had mostly relied on coal to meet growing energy needs. Solar power had expanded rapidly until 2020 but was slowed by infrastructure bottlenecks. A researcher said Vietnam appeared to strengthen its role in Southeast Asia’s clean energy shift by planning to develop renewable sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.