Demand  for energy, and particularly electricity, across the Greater Mekong Subregion  (GMS)has risen strongly, often at a faster rate pace than economic growth.  

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The growing demand for electricity will require a major expansion of the  power system. According to the current power development plans (PDPs) of the  respective GMS countries, the total installed capacity of the region is  projected to be almost doubled by 2025, mostly driven by large hydro and  coal-fired power additions. Along with these developments, environmental and  social pressures are expected to be heightened, adding concerns related to  climate change.    

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The technical assistance, funded by the ADB, primarily focuses on improving  Vietnam’s PDP planning process in a way to consider environmental and social  impacts at the more upstream stage through strategic environmental assessment  (SEA) and to examine all supply-side options and demand-side options using  integrated resource planning (IRP). It is intended that the progress and  lessons learnt from Vietnam can be captured as a knowledge product for  sharing with other GMS countries to enhance their PDP process.    

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The focus of Danish Energy Management & Esbensen within the project is  on developing EE and DSM projects, formulating EE policy, and implementing  various EE policy options. More precisely, we identified EE and DSM  potentials and make projections of potential energy savings in power sector  in consultation with stakeholders in Vietnam and reflect them in revising or  updating Vietnam’s PDP, validated policies, programs and targets on EE and  DSM under the IRP with SEA as appropriate and develop recommendations for key  actions to be taken to strengthen those policies, programs, and targets in  Vietnam, identified GMS and international best practices and share them in a  country context and consolidate necessary knowledge products to be used for  country training, worked closely with the project team to (a) develop the  integrate PDP approach using IRP with SEA considering potentials of EE  resources; (b) tailor guidelines and briefing notes on Integrated PDP Process  using IRP with SEA in each GMS countries (c) conduct country workshops and  training programs; and (d) develop Knowledge Products, provided inputs to the  reports and participate in regional and country meetings and workshops and  country consultation missions as required.