Vietnam is preparing to increase electricity imports from Laos and China as the country seeks to secure energy supplies for rapid economic growth and rising power consumption.
Under a memorandum of understanding between the governments of Laos and Vietnam, minimum imported electricity capacity from Laos to Vietnam is set at about 3,000MW by 2025 and about 5,000MW by 2030 (Photo: EVN).
According to Vietnam Electricity (EVN), total electricity generation and imports reached 203.57 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) during the first seven months of the year.
Coal-fired power plants accounted for the largest share of supply, generating 106.52 billion kWh, or 52.3 per cent of the total. Hydropower produced 47.37 billion kWh, equivalent to 23.3 per cent, while gas-fired plants generated 16.21 billion kWh, or 8 per cent. Renewable energy sources contributed 25.96 billion kWh, representing 12.8 per cent.
Imported electricity reached 7.21 billion kWh, accounting for 3.5 per cent of total supply.
Vietnam currently imports most of its electricity from Laos and China. Import volumes have increased as power generation projects in Laos and cross-border transmission infrastructure have expanded, making it easier to transmit electricity into Vietnam.
By the end of 2025, the government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade had approved plans to import electricity from 47 power projects in Laos with a combined capacity of 8,260 megawatts (MW).
Of that total, projects with a combined capacity of 2,379MW have already entered commercial operation and are supplying electricity to Vietnam. Additional projects are expected to come online between 2026 and 2030 under a bilateral electricity import agreement signed in January 2025.
In 2025, Vietnam imported approximately 1,600MW of electricity from Laos and around 550MW from China.
Under the revised National Power Development Plan VIII, Vietnam aims to import between 9,360MW and 12,100MW of electricity from Laos by 2030, while also making use of electricity imports from China at an appropriate scale.
A memorandum of understanding between the governments of Laos and Vietnam sets a minimum electricity import target of 3,000MW by 2025 and 5,000MW by 2030.
Officials said that if market conditions remain favourable and electricity prices are competitive, Vietnam could accelerate imports from Laos and increase transmission capacity to supply northern provinces.
Total electricity generation and imports are projected to reach between 560.4 billion and 624.6 billion kWh by 2030, rising to between 1.36 trillion and 1.51 trillion kWh by 2050.
The expansion of generation capacity and transmission networks is intended to meet growing energy demand as Vietnam targets average annual GDP growth of around 10 per cent through 2030 and approximately 7.5 per cent between 2031 and 2050.