Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on January 18 issued Directive 01/CT-TTg to ensure stable power supply for production and daily life during peak times in 2026 and the 2027–2030 period.
The PM emphasized that ensuring an adequate power supply for socio-economic development during the 2026–2030 period is a top-priority political task. This effort is vital to guaranteeing national energy security in a new era of digital transformation and high-tech development—the era of the nation’s rise.
On this basis, the PM called for the highest sense of responsibility, the mobilization of the entire political system, and the concentration of all resources to expedite and complete power source and transmission projects as quickly as possible. He strictly prohibited any project bottlenecks or delays resulting from slow administrative procedures at the ministerial, agency, or local levels.
For the short-term goals of 2026, the Government leader directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to closely monitor demand fluctuations and oversee system operations. The primary focus must be on completing and commissioning key transmission grid projects on schedule, particularly those ensuring power supply to the North and facilitating electricity imports from Laos and China.
Regarding Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the PM instructed the group to develop backup operational plans for the power system, including extreme scenarios. Notably, EVN must urgently study and deploy Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) on the distribution grid to bolster supply capacity for 2026 and subsequent years, with a specific focus on the northern region.
State corporations, including Petrovietnam (PVN) and Vinacomin (TKV), are tasked with ensuring a stable and continuous supply of primary fuels—such as coal, gas, and oil—for electricity generation. They must absolutely prevent fuel shortages that could lead to unscheduled power plant shutdowns.
Finally, PM Chinh demanded that project investors concentrate their resources and exert their highest determination to complete projects scheduled for operation in 2026. These projects must meet the highest standards of operational readiness, safety, and reliability to satisfy the requirements of the national power system.
The Directive stated that against the backdrop of forecasted high growth in electricity demand and increasingly complex, extreme, and unpredictable weather patterns, ensuring an adequate power supply for socio-economic development, national defense, security, and the public’s daily needs in 2026 and the 2027–2030 period places exceptionally high requirements on the leadership and operation of the national power system.
Notably, 2026 marks the inaugural year for implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, as well as the commencement of the five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026–2030) and the ten-year Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2026–2035). Throughout 2026, numerous major cultural, political, and economic events will take place, most significantly the 14th National Party Congress and the elections for the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term.
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