Blog—Vietnam at a Glance—Supporting the Region’s Renewables | GE Gas Power

Considering the energy demand, energy storage and economic issues presented when shifting from traditional base-loaded power sources like coal and nuclear to renewable sources, the latest gas-powered combined-cycle plants are a viable solution to provide highly reliable and available power with improved operating flexibility, faster start times, increased ramp rates and broad fuel flexibility.

Under PDP 8, with the continued rise of wind and solar power, the need for flexible power sources is a continued focus area for the government. There is an opportunity for capacity firming solutions that can ensure reliability and security of supply to the grid.

Grid firming—or grid balancing—is the addition of another energy resource to a renewable power plant to provide secure, stable power any time the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing. Grid firming is vital for any power generation network, especially one like Vietnam’s, where there will be a growing percentage of renewable power sources in the years to come.

And with access to nearly 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas via LNG (liquified natural gas) off Vietnam’s long coastline and ongoing offshore explorations coupled with the plan to source an additional 13 MTPA of gas, gas-powered energy is certainly a viable option to meet the expected additional power requirement as outlined in PDP 8.