Denmark pledges to expand energy partnership with Vietnam

• PM witnesses signing of agreements with Denmark
• Vietnam and Denmark ink deals to unleash potentials of agri-food production
• Denmark supports Vietnam to develop wind power

One of the highlights of Mr. Bæk’s visit was the launch of the Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019 (EOR19) with the participation of more than one hundred high-level Vietnamese decision-makers, managers as well as local and international sector experts. 

The Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019 demonstrates scenarios showing how the Vietnamese energy sector can embark on a sustainable and low-cost development pathway, resulting in large CO2 emission reductions.

"I have had two excellent days in Hanoi, which have confirmed that the energy partnership between Vietnam and Denmark is strong, efficient and produces tangible results. The Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2019 is a landmark in our cooperation within energy modeling. It offers solutions to many of the challenges Vietnam is facing, and could contribute to Vietnam’s Power Development Plan 8", said Mr. Morten Baek.

"New calculations show how Vietnam can reduce annual CO2 emissions by up to 39% in 2050 compared to existing national plans. That equals approximately 370 million tons CO2. The Vietnamese authorities can rely on the report in realizing a green and cost-effective energy transition, whilst reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels. Denmark is committed to consolidating and expanding the collaboration in the coming years", he affirmed.

Jakob Stenby Lundsager, Long Term Advisor to MOIT for the Danish Energy Partnership Programme in Vietnam, said that Vietnam has imported pure coal since 2015 and the trend is increasing. From 2020 to 2030, fuel imports will increase by 3 and by 2050 will be 8 times higher than at present. This shows that, three-fourths of Vietnam's energy consumption is from imported energy.

EOR19 shows that, to embrace these opportunities for the development of its energy system, Vietnam is facing new challenges: how to ensure an efficient use of domestic energy resources; how to overcome the barriers for energy efficiency; how to utilize the economic potential for renewable energy while securing a stable power supply, and how to successfully contribute to mitigating climate change and air pollution.

These challenges must be addressed by policy actions backed by solid energy system planning grounded on holistic analyses of long-term energy scenarios. This EOR19 provides exactly that: Mid- to long-term perspectives of energy system operation and investment to be used as a guide for policy makers and energy planners when balancing both economic and environmental issues, along with ensuring security of supply. In this perspective, the report represents an important input to the forthcoming PDP8 and the Energy Master Plan

During his visit, the Danish Permanent Secretary for Climate, Energy and Utilities met with several leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Chairman for Economic Affairs of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, and the Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment of the National Assembly. 

They exchanged views on strategic issues concerning decarbonisation of the energy sector, the next phase of the Energy Partnership Cooperation between Denmark and Vietnam, country-level actions to address climate change as well as commercial relations between the two countries.