Vietnam’s leadership has set out a sweeping new vision for its energy future, pledging to secure supply, cut emissions and revive nuclear power as the country pushes for rapid yet sustainable growth the Viet Nam News reports.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on August 20 laid out the Politburo’s strategy for national energy security to 2030 in a resolution, with ambitions stretching to 2045. Signing a document to this end he cast energy as a foundation for economic progress, declaring it must take precedence in supporting the nation’s development path.

As a nation, Vietnam is currently one of the hotspots of Asia with a booming renewables sector although this is primarily land based with little exploitation as of yet of offshore winds along a 3,450km coast.

In terms of overall power supply, however, numbers have remained stable since 2020, although there are now warnings of possible shortages as the economy expands at double-digit rates. A long-standing list of persistent weaknesses were also highlighted - slow project delivery, regulatory gaps, reliance on imports, ageing infrastructure, low productivity and the absence of a fully competitive power market with cost-reflective tariffs.

By 2030, the government wants total primary energy supply to reach 150–170mn tonnes of oil equivalent and installed capacity to hit 183–236GW, generating 560–624bn kWh. Renewables are expected to account for 25–30% of supply, while greenhouse gas emissions should fall 15–35% against a business-as-usual scenario. Reliability and access to electricity are targeted to rank among the top three in ASEAN, and domestic refineries should cover at least 70% of fuel demand.

Looking further ahead, by 2045 the aim is a fully modern, competitive and internationally integrated energy sector for Vietnam Viet Nam News adds. Measures will include reforming regulation, expanding infrastructure from renewables to gas and nuclear while phasing down coal, digitalising operations, promoting efficiency and stepping up cooperation abroad. Private capital will be welcomed, though state-owned enterprises are expected to remain central players given domestic political norms.

The resolution also revives Vietnam’s nuclear ambitions, with the long-stalled Ninh Thuận 1 and 2 plants slated for operation between 2030 and 2035. Plans also include developing small modular reactors, boosting research and building domestic expertise to adopt advanced nuclear technologies suited to national needs.