Vietnam's power system survived its toughest test yet in 2026, and officials now say the country will keep the lights on through the end of the year. But the warnings attached to that reassurance matter for anyone travelling to the country over the next few summers.
At the National Energy Security Forum on November 10, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Viet Son described 2026 as a year of unprecedented strain. A brutal heatwave drove national peak demand to a record 57,537 MW on June 24, while conflicts in the Middle East pushed up fuel import costs and snarled supply chains. Electricity output for the first nine months rose 9.4%, with full-year generation projected at 356.2 billion kWh — up more than 10%. EVN vice president Nguyen Tai Anh confirmed the system will guarantee sufficient supply for the whole year.
The pressure was sharpest in the north, where demand jumped 14.7% in May and 17.5% in June, pushing operating capacity close to voltage-stability limits. EVN responded by stockpiling fuel, maximising plant output, importing electricity and — for the first time — deploying battery energy storage, with 805 MW of BESS capacity planned in the north this year.
Here's the catch: officials expect 2027 and 2028 to be even harder. Demand is forecast to grow roughly 10% annually on top of the 2026 baseline, and the north's peak is projected well above this year's high of 30,248 MW. The north-bound transmission corridor is already running at its 5,000–5,200 MW ceiling. Meanwhile, 30 of Vietnam's 48 hydropower reservoirs risk missing the water levels needed for generation, so regulators are holding water back through the first quarter of 2027. Hydropower supplies about a quarter of the system.
EVN's answer is a massive build-out: around 830 trillion VND of investment through 2030 — its biggest capital programme ever, 69% above the previous phase — including 15 new plants totalling 6,066 MW, another 930 MW of batteries at Thai Binh, Mong Duong 1 and across Hanoi's grid, and progress on the 2,400 MW Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear project. But EVN controls only about 37% of capacity, so independent developers must deliver roughly 85,000 MW by 2030 — and the utility is pushing for tighter oversight of chronically delayed projects.
Why should travellers care? Vietnam's tourism hotspots — Hanoi, Ha Long, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City — all sit on a grid that has been running close to its limits during summer heat peaks. For now, supply is secure, and battery storage plus new plants should improve resilience. But if you're visiting in the May–August window, packing for hot, humid conditions and expecting occasional localised outages in older buildings is still sensible. Shoulder-season trips in autumn and spring sidestep the issue entirely.
Story via Vietnam Insider.
