Vietnam plans to reduce its renewable energy output by 1.3 TWh in 2021, with transmission capacity unable to handle the supply. Nguyen Duc Ninh, Director of the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) said that an oversupply of renewable energy, especially during the midday peak sun hours, and the overload on the transmission line from the central region to the north are among the biggest power management challenges this year.
He said that there was a surge in renewable energy development last year, especially in the rooftop segment, which saw capacity rise 66 per cent to 10 GW between June and December. This has caused an oversupply, and overloads recorded in the central provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, which forced Vietnam Electricity ( EVN ) to reject 365 GWh of solar output in 2020. He also proposed that the power generation timings of small hydropower plants be changed to avoid the 11am – 1pm period.
EVN said in a recent report that the increased solar power capacity has made it difficult for it to ensure stable power distribution nationwide.