Vietnam is one of those large (over 85 million people!) Southeast Asian countries where the conditions are perfect for coal use to explode from nearly nothing to high-intensity.  Despite the fact that reliable figures on Vietnam's coal reserves and consumption are unavailable, we do know that there is a good deal of coal in that very poor country and that with a recently increased emphasis on mining and its advantageous location, it is now the number one exporter of the black stuff to China.  Having set up the necessary infrastructure and experiencing high GDP growth rates in recent years, the Vietnamese are now preparing to ramp up their domestric consumption dramatically.

More sobering news for coal-plant-moratorium advocates I suppose.

From Thanh Nien News:

The Vietnamese government has approved a master plan to develop 136 new power projects through 2015 amid reports that the country’s electricity demand could double in just over four years.

The plan, submitted by the Ministry of Industry, also calls for an additional 80 projects by 2025.

The wave of projects comes as the ministry has forecast that the country’s electricity demand would surge 17 – 22 percent annually over the 2006–2015 period.

According to state-owned distribution monopoly Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the country may even face a shortfall of nearly 1 billion Kwh by the end of the year.

This year, Vietnam will only produce 30% of the electricity per-capita as the Chinese and will be experiencing blackouts, which is why they are also issuing energy-conservation orders.  For the average Vietnamese to enjoy the current meager level of electricity in China, even at a 20% annual growth rate, will take seven years of breakneck expansion of Coal Plants like this one.  Now for you investors:

... As power sector needs US$3.83 billion annually, Vietnam is striving to lure investment from other independent power producers (IPP). 

EVN is only capable of supplying about 50 percent of the funds.

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