Vietnam’s demand for coal serving power generation is expected to rise by five million tonnes in 2016, said Nguyen Van Bien, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin).
Vinacomin recently asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to work with relevant agencies to ensure an adequate supply of coal for electricity production.
According to reports from MoIT, 10-month coal output was 34.6 million tonnes, escalating 4.9 percent compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile, coal consumption in the first ten months of this year was estimated at 29 million tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 2.35 percent. The amount sold in domestic market escalated 19.9 percent.
Bien stated that floods hampered Vinacomin’s coal consumption in October, adding that the group needs to produce about 3 million tonnes per month in the last two months of this year to meet the annual target.
The group’s revenue from January-October slid 3 percent as coal prices dipped compared to the same period last year.-VNA