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The Price of Energy Demand
SGT Weekly, 03 October 2003
By Tan Duc
The increase in the demand for energy threatens the environment. This must taken into account as Vietnam makes its energy development plans to support socio-economic development. Currently there exists some controversy in Vietnam over planning for energy production. The MOI & EVN expected the Government to approve the building of the 3,600MW Son La Hydropower Plant, but instead it chose to build the 2,400MW Son La Hydropower Plant. Given a capacity of 2,400MW, the plant generates 8.46 billion kWh per annum on average (14.16 billion kWh/year with the 3,600MW project). Data from the National Center of Natural Sciences and Technology show that though Vietnam 's theoretical hydroelectric productivity is 309 billion kWh/year, the actual exploitable figure is just 51.6 billion kWh/year. The selection of the 2,400MW project represents a loss of 5.7 billion kWh/year - 11% of Vietnam 's total exploitable hydroelectric productivity. But had the 3,600MW project been chosen, the environmental loss would have been much greater. This is why the lower capacity project was selected.
The more the economy develops, the greater the energy demand grows. To supply sufficient energy for socio-economic development, Vietnam 's environment must pay a costly price. Hydroelectricity is classified in the group of clean and recyclable energy (solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy). The use of these energy sources does not emit waste that damages the environment. Nonetheless, the construction of reservoirs for hydropower plants will destroy forests and large areas of arable land.
If the 3,600MW Son La Hydropower Plant project had been chosen, 44,700-hectares of forests and arable land would have been turned into a reservoir. With the 2,400MW project, the area required for the reservoir is 22,500ha. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the smaller the area used for the reservoir means the less damage (loss of forests and land erosion) done to the environment. Seen from a different perspective, however, the possible negative impact of hydroelectricity being a clean source of energy would be on just the local environment. Meanwhile, the use of fossil fuels (petroleum, gas and coal) has caused worldwide environmental problems. Nearly 60% of the world's power is generated from fossil fuels. Thermo power plants are the biggest cause of the greenhouse effect.
Formerly, hydroelectricity represented 70% of the national power productivity of Vietnam . However, with the establishment of gas-operated power plants in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the proportion of thermoelectricity is now equal to that of hydroelectricity. As a result, the amount of waste has also increased. As the Vietnamese economy is small, the energy consumption rate is still low. According to EVN, Vietnam 's power demand will reach 34 billion kWh this year; the petroleum and coal required to run thermo power plants will reach 11-12 million tons and 8 million tons respectively. The National Center of Natural Sciences and Technology forecasts Vietnam 's energy demand will reach 50 million tons of oil equivalent by 2020 when Vietnam becomes an industrialized country.
Although the waste that causes greenhouse effects is still minor in Vietnam , how to curb the waste increase is a matter of concern for scientists and managers, as it relates directly to the living environment. In addition, waste standards now become a commodity that can be traded or exchanged among countries in the world. According to scientists, Vietnam 's reserves of hydroelectricity and fossil fuel can meet local power needs until 2015. After this, Vietnam will have to import electricity, coal and gas for its thermo power plants, or build nuclear power plants to meet the electricity demand. Vietnam plans to develop nuclear power plants for the following reasons: Vietnam has a uranium 308 reserve of 210,000 tons; nuclear power plants do not discharge carbon dioxide that causes greenhouse effects; and the production costs are low. But some fear an accident at a nuclear power plant, and despite the fact that nuclear power plants do not discharge waste, nuclear waste treatment is also risky for the environment.
Endowed with a long coastline and located in a tropical climate region with monsoons, Vietnam has great potential in solar, tidal, wind and geothermal energy. These are boundless and environmentally friendly energy sources, but they have yet to replace fossil fuels due to technical and economic reasons. Clearly, all possible solutions must be studied and developed, ones that can simultaneously utilize Vietnam 's natural resources to the best extent possible, protect the environment, and meet the needs of the growing nation.
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