Denmark and Viet Nam have cooperated on the green energy transition since 2013. Building on over a decade of successful collaboration, the Denmark-Vietnam Energy Partnership Programme (DEPP), currently in its third phase (2020-2026) focuses on facilitating a just green energy transition by enabling clean energy development and implementing long-term goals for a net-zero society by 2050.
The programme focuses primarily on:
- Long-term energy planning: Enhancing institutional capacity for data-driven, cost-effective energy planning that ensures security of supply while reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels. Moreover, sharing Danish expertise in regulatory mechanisms and tender frameworks, including on offshore wind.
- Renewable energy integration: Supporting a secure electricity system increasingly based on renewables through market-based mechanisms and improved power system flexibility.
- Energy efficiency in the industrial sector: Strengthening the implementation of incentive schemes, such as the Voluntary Agreement Scheme to improve industrial competitiveness and reduce emissions.
How Danish experiences can contribute to Viet Nam’s green energy transition
Viet Nam stands at a pivotal moment, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. To support this, the government has introduced key national plans like the Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8), which target a significant increase in renewable energy capacity by 2030.
With over 40 years of experience in greening its own energy system, Denmark supports Viet Nam in addressing technical and regulatory barriers to renewable energy deployment. Danish contributions include:
- Evidence-based policy: Approaches like the scenario-based modelling presented in the Energy Outlook Reports provide critical analysis and recommendations for Viet Nam’s energy transition pathways.
- System optimization: Sharing expertise in integrating high shares of variable renewable energy into the grid while maintaining a reliable and affordable power supply.
- Energy efficiency in industry: Sharing Danish experiences in designing and implementing incentive-based regulatory frameworks, such as the Voluntary Agreement Scheme, to encourage industrial enterprises to adopt energy-efficient technologies.
Cooperation between Danish and Vietnamese authorities
The Danish-Vietnamese government-to-government cooperation is led by the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities in close coordination with the Danish Embassy in Hanoi.
The programme is implemented in close collaboration with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) and its agencies:
- Electricity Authority of Vietnam (EAV), responsible for power sector regulation and planning.
- National Power System and Market Operator Company (NSMO), responsible for the stable operation of the power system and electricity market.
- Department of Innovation, Green Transformation, and Industrial Promotion (IGIP), responsible for green development in the industrial sector covering energy efficiency, decarbonization, and industrial green growth.
The upcoming five-year phase (VNDEPP) is expected to commence in Q2 2026 and will run until 2030.