EU helps Vietnam’s rural areas access sustainable energy

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh  (L) and Stefano Manservisi, the EC’s Director General for International Cooperation and Development, at a press conference. Photo: VOV

The technical assistance is to serve the implementation of a 108 million EUR (133 million USD) program under which the EU will help Vietnam’s rural areas access sustainable energy.

The program aims to contribute to building a more sustainable energy sector in Vietnam by promoting the efficiency of clean and renewable energy sources among the public.

The component, co-sponsored by the EU and the German Ministry of Economic Development, will be carried out by the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in conjunction with the MoIT.

According to Stefano Manservisi, the EC’s Director General for International Cooperation and Development, the program is expected to help the Vietnamese Government fulfil the target of providing electricity for 1.2 million rural households from 2013-2020, while enhancing State management in the energy sector to facilitate the country’s transition towards a more sustainable energy sector.

MoIT Minister Tran Tuan Anh said the rapid and sustainable development of the energy sector has helped Vietnam maintain socio-economic growth at a high pace, noting that Vietnam needs to invest about 5-7 billion USD each year in the energy sector.

He stressed that the national target program on providing electricity for rural, mountainous and island areas during 2016-2020 needs about 1.2 billion EUR. Therefore, the Vietnamese Government welcomes the support of the EU in this field.

Once the program is completed, about 750 villages with about 60,000 households, an island district and two island communes are expected to access electricity.

Source: VNA