The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just set a target to save on power consumption by 8% to 10% in the next five years mainly by raising public awareness and encouraging companies to upgrade technologies, an official said.
“The ministry is petitioning the Government to approve this high target,” said Nguyen Dinh Hiep, director of the Science and Technology Department of the ministry.
Hiep said the high target was based on the success of phase one power savings in the past five years. During phase one of the national power saving program, the country saved some 4 billion kWh of power, equivalent to 5% of the country’s annual electricity consumption. The target for the second phase from 2011 to 2015 of the national strategic program is one of the vital measures for ensuring energy security for the country, he said.
Except for some achievements resulting from the 2006-2010 program, Hiep said, the awareness about energy saving among people and industrial producers was still limited, and power consumption at steel and cement plants remained high.
Meanwhile, lending policies for enterprises embracing energy saving solutions were still inadequate.
As the country’s demand for electricity is expected to increase 15-17% annually in the coming years, the ministry will implement some key projects to save more power in this second phase, which has a total budget of US$3 million a year.
These projects will focus on spurring public awareness of energy saving, and energy efficiency in the industrial production, construction, and transport sectors.
