Vietnamese hydro

Vietnam has excellent potential for hydropower, much of which remains as of yet untapped. Nonetheless, with almost 17 GW of installed capacity, hydropower is a significant contributor to Vietnam's energy mix.

FACTS

Total installed capacity

16.8 GW

Percentage of electricity mix

20%

Long-term sustainability target

Peak carbon emissions by 2035; net zero emissions by 2050

A large number of rivers flow through Vietnam, making it particularly well-suited to hydropower. While its potential capacity is estimated at 35 GW, installed capacity is less than half that, at 16.8 GW. Many of these hydropower plants were installed in the 1980s and 1990s, and contributed to Vietnam’s economic growth in that time period. But recent years have also seen significant development in hydropower capacity, with capacity tripling since 2010.