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Vietnam coal-fired power emissions struck brand-new highs in early 2024: Maguire

Carbon dioxide emissions from Vietnam's coalfired power plants jumped to a brand-new high for the very first month of the year in 2024 as the nation's. power manufacturers cranked output to avert a repeat of power. failures seen last year.

Vietnam has nearly doubled imports of thermal coal up until now. this year from the exact same period in 2023 as the government strives. to assure foreign companies and investors that power materials. will remain uninterrupted in 2024.

The surge in coal purchases by the world's 10th largest coal. customer recommends coal-fired emissions might climb greater still in. the months ahead, undermining international efforts to cut back on. fossil fuel usage and pollution.

NEW HIGHS

January's coal-fired emissions tally of 11 million metric. tons of CO2 and equivalent gases is the highest on record for. that month, data from energy think tank Ash programs.

The January overall is nearly 70% above the emissions load in. the very same month of 2023, and is approximately 30% above the January. average for the past 5 years - suggesting a clear break with. the energy generation trends of previous years.

Coal-fired electrical power generation was 12.75 terawatt hours. ( TWh) in January, 68% more than in January 2023 and the greatest. month-to-month overall since last July.

Coal produced 55% of the nation's total electricity in. January, up from an average of 46% in 2023 as a whole.

Total electrical energy generation from all sources was 23.35 TWh,. or 30% more than the very same month in 2023.

The high coal-fired and overall generation totals indicate. that Vietnam's power companies are plainly dedicated to raising. output, most likely in action to pressure from the federal government to. prevent the outages seen in 2023 that harmed output at several significant. factories and assembly line.

Recovering industrial activity in neighbouring China is. likewise likely stimulating Vietnam's power producers to raise. production, as a number of key Vietnamese industries have strong. ties to China and tend to see pickups in order flows whenever. Chinese consumer demand rises.

SEASONAL PEAKS

As Vietnam's annual power emissions traditionally peak around. May and June when need for cooling is greatest, the. rise in emissions at the start of the year recommends potential. for extra emissions increases over the coming months and. for full-year emissions tallies to smash previous records.

For 2023 as an entire, Vietnam's coal-fired emissions were a. record 110 million tons, and up from 90 million loads in 2022.

If the strong speed of emissions seen so far in 2024 is. sustained through the rest of the year, then a full-year total. of more than 130 million loads is possible.

The exact volume of power emissions will eventually be. figured out by the power mix readily available to Vietnam's power. manufacturers during peak need periods.

The 2nd largest source of electrical energy in Vietnam after. coal is hydropower, which produced around 30% of the nation's. electrical power in 2023.

In January, hydro dams accounted for just 20.5% of overall. generation due to enduring dry spell problems, which forced power. companies to ratchet up production from other sources.

If the country receives higher rain levels over the. coming months, hydro generation might rebound greatly and enable. for curbs to coal generation later in the year.

Greater production from solar and wind farms could likewise allow. for power companies to cap coal usage, especially during the. sunniest months of the year when air conditioning need is at. its greatest.

Wind electricity generation scaled a record in January as. new wind farms came online, and wind output ought to continue to. get over the remainder of the year as brand-new centers flow power. onto the grid.

Nevertheless, solar and wind farms produced just 13.6% of. Vietnam's total electrical power in 2023, and will likely struggle to. push their collective share of total generation much greater. over the near term amid ongoing concerns about the success. of brand-new renewable energy jobs.

That suggests power firms will remain heavily dependent on coal. for a majority of Vietnam's power requires for the foreseeable. future, and may continue raising coal-fired emissions to new. highs for several more years.

<< The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a. writer .>

(source: Reuters)