Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa speaks at the event. (Photo: baocongthuong.com.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – A forum washeld in Hanoi on May 23 with a view to providing Australia with an insight intothe real situation of Vietnam’s energy industry and helping domestic firms toexplore the possibility of cooperation with Australian partners.
Energy security is a priority ofboth Vietnamese and Australian Governments. The two countries have beenenhancing partnership in industry, education-training and research on energy.
At the forum, co-organised by theVietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Australian Embassy,representatives from Australian agencies, organisations and businesses shared theirexperience and latest technologies in energy.
Deputy Minister of Industry andTrade Ho Thi Kim Thoa said Australia’s strengths in the fields of coal and gas withmodern technologies can help Vietnam ensure energy security and protect theenvironment. Hence, the two nations hold great potential for cooperation in thesphere, she noted.
Janelle Casey, CommercialCounsellor of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade),expressed her hope that through the event, the two sides will understand betterabout cooperation opportunities and bolster linkages in energy, trade andinvestment.
Report released by the Ministryof Industry and Trade showed that commercial electricity growth has been on therise over the past 15 years. Demand for electricity also strongly increased,growing by 13 percent in 2006-2010 and 11 percent in the last five years. It isestimated that the country’s electricity demand will grow about 10 percent inthe next 10 years.
To ensure its energy security,Vietnam has been shifted from an energy exporter to an importer. The country isprojected to import 17 million tonnes of coal, accounting for 31 percent ofcoal demand to generate electricity in 2020.
Meanwhile, Vietnam also considersthe possibility of increasing electricity imports from neighbouring countriessuch as Laos.-VNA
