Vietnam suffers a series of blackouts in the midst of a heat wave, with the risk of contagion to China
Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, is trying to save on electricity usage as a heatwave has depleted reservoirs for hydroelectric power, the source that generates about a third of Vietnam's electricity.
In recent weeks, parts of Asia have been hit by hot and dry weather as the El Nino pattern forms, which brings hot and dry weather to much of Southeast Asia.
Coal is Vietnam's main source of electricity, with a 46% share, followed by hydroelectricity with 31%, according to 2021 BloombergNEF data.
Due to the depletion of hydroelectric reservoirs, the authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have asked factories, shopping malls and schools to turn off half of the elevators and turn off the lights in the corridors and parking lots. Street lighting is also switched off earlier than planned to save energy. Administration officials were also asked to limit the use of formal suits and suits to reduce the need for air-conditioning in hot weather. Lighter and sportier, less air conditioning.
According to Vietnamese media, Ho Chi Minh City has set four new daily electricity consumption records in less than a month due to the heat, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation.
This energy shortage due to the heat appears to not only affect Vietnam and neighboring Laos, but will also spread to China which is experiencing the same problems, which will worsen during the summer.
Last month, Chinese officials warned that electricity demand in China is set to increase and that some areas of the country could once again face power shortages at times of peak demand this summer.
The projected maximum energy load would be higher than the 1,290 GW recorded last year. In 2022, a heat wave depleted hydroelectric power reservoirs and power outages were implemented in parts of southwest China. At the time, the disruptions led to factory closures and a drop in manufacturing output in August, which further weighed on China's weak economic growth last year.
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The article Vietnam suffers a series of blackouts in the midst of a heat wave, with the risk of contagion to China comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-vietnam-subisce-una-serie-di-blackout-nel-mezzo-di-unondata-di-calore-con-il-rischio-di-contagio-alla-cina/ on Fri, 19 May 2023 08:00:23 +0000.