Vietnam warns of blackouts from 2027 as power projects stutter

September 16, 2026 / Liam Redmond /

A push for at least 10% annual economic growth through the decade’s end is pressuring its power grid

Published Wed, Sep 16, 2026 · 02:35 PM

VIETNAM could face electricity shortages from 2027 as power generation and grid projects fall behind schedule, according to the country’s trade ministry, putting plans for double-digit economic growth at risk.

Citing “very slow” progress in recent years, the ministry said just 5 per cent of power projects under a national growth plan had gone into operation, state media reported.

Most were still in development or awaiting approval, held up by issues including the choice of investors, land procedures and grid preparation.

Though supply is expected to meet demand for 2026, rising consumption and delays to new projects risked creating a 4,200-megawatt (MW) shortfall in power capacity in 2027 and an electricity deficit of about 2.9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), the ministry said in a report submitted to the prime minister.

That gap could widen to about 13,900 MW and 61.2 billion kWh in 2030, it said.

Vietnam’s push for at least 10 per cent annual economic growth through the end of the decade is adding pressure to the nation’s power grid, with new factories, technology and infrastructure projects lifting electricity demand faster than generation and transmission capacity can be added.

These risks were exposed by blackouts in 2023, when drought reduced water levels in hydropower reservoirs and forced outages at factories and industrial parks in the country’s north.

To avert future shortages, the ministry reiterated an earlier proposal to add more coal-fired power capacity as an alternative to projects that rely on imported liquefied natural gas.

These projects have faced delays as the war in the Middle East disrupts supplies of the fuel.