Vietnam’s prime minister approved a long-awaited power plan for this decade that needs $134.7 billion of funding for new power plants and grids, the government said late this week, in a move that may help unlock billions of dollars of foreign investment.
The plan, known as PDP8, is aimed at ensuring energy security for the Southeast Asian country while it begins the transition from its current heavy reliance on coal to becoming carbon-neutral by midcentury.
Amid internal squabbles and work on complex reforms, the plan has been delayed for more than two years, and has seen a dozen of draft versions before the approval by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, which now needs the formal green light from the rubber-stamp parliament, possibly this month, before its final adoption.
The plan is important to unlock an initial investment of $15.5 billion in green-transition funds pledged to Vietnam in December by the Group of 7 (G-7) nations and other wealthier countries. Half the funds will come from the public sector and the rest from private investors.
After the deal, negotiators have struggled for months to progress on preliminary work to allocate the funding, multiple officials told Reuters, as Vietnam officials maintained their reticence to accept loans, which are by far the biggest component of the promised public funds.
One diplomat from the G-7 donors’ group told Reuters on Tuesday the approval was an important step, necessary to unlock funding for renewable projects, especially offshore wind. It was however not completely in line with G-7 goals, the diplomat added, as the country will still heavily rely on coal this decade.
To complete its transition to carbon neutrality with total phase-out of coal by 2050, the government estimates it needs a whopping $658 billion, of which one-fifth would have to be disbursed this decade.
The industry ministry, which prepared the document, said in a statement late on Monday that, under the plan, half of office buildings and homes in Vietnam would be powered by rooftop solar panels by 2030. The country would also aim to generate green energy for exports, with a target of 5-10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
The statement did not provide full details of the plan.
A draft of the PDP8, dated May 10 and seen by Reuters, showed the plan would more than double the country’s power generation capacity to 158 GW by 2030 from 69 GW at the end of 2020.
Power plants using domestic gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) would be the main source of the country’s power generation mix by 2030, accounting for 37.33 GW, or 23.6%, according to the draft, with LNG accounting for the lion’s share.
Coal would still account for 19% of the mix by 2030, followed by hydropower with 18.5%, wind energy with 17.6% and solar power 13.0%, according to the draft.
The ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the draft.

Karachi Chapter of Pakistan HVACR Society and Ashrae Pakistan Chapter have agreed to hold a technical conference in conjunction with the Annual PHVACR Expo from 8th to 10th of June 2023 at Karachi Expo Center, Pakistan
The 28 Pakistan HVACR International Expo & Conference is the most established International Exhibition on Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration in the region; it is the only focused HVACR trade show in Pakistan.
Farooq Mehboob, ASHRAE’s President said “28th Pakistan HVACR Int’l Expo & Conference is happening at a very defining moment in Pakistan’s economic history with lot of challenges; and this is the opportunity where we can transform the Country and Industry. We will work day and night to make this collaboration succeed.”
Muhammad Omer Khan, President of ASHRAE Pakistan Chapter said “This agreement will benefit members of both societies. ASHRAE will put all efforts to make the Conference successful at the 28th edition of this Expo of Pakistan HVACR Society.”
Engr. Zeeshan Ahmed Siddiqui, Chairman of Pakistan HVACR Society, Karachi Chapter thanked and briefed the participants about the progress towards holding the 28th edition of Pakistan HVACR International Expo & Conference.
Engr. Zeeshan Siddiqui said “We at Pakistan HVACR Society are bringing the latest information and new technical research for the Industry in Pakistan at this Expo and Conference to enhance the understanding of Industry in Pakistan and align stakeholders here with international industry and practices”,
“This collaboration for the Conference with ASHRAE will be beneficial for all the stakeholders”, he added.
The MOU signing ceremony held at a local hotel in Karachi was attended by the leadership of the Pakistan HVACR Society and ASHRAE Pakistan Chapter.
With 27 successful editions to date, the 28th edition of the Pakistan HVACR Expo & Conference is considered to be an ideal platform for the Industry to exhibit their products and services, network together, and enhance their knowledge.

The closing ceremony of the 7th International Multi-topic ICT Conference (IMTIC’23) was jointly organized by Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi and Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoroo at SSUET campus with the support of both the IEEE, Karachi Section, and Sindh Higher Education Commission in terms of technical collaboration was held on May 13, 2023. The theme of the conference was “Artificial Intelligence convergence towards sustainable communication”. The conference was attended by local and international research scholars, while keynote speakers included Professor Mithun Mukherjee, Nanjing university of Information Science and Technology China, Dr. Enrique Nava, University of Malaga, Spain, Dr. Atif Siddiqui, Airbus Defence & Space UK, and Dr. Nadeem Abbas, Linnaeus University, Sweden. IEEE International Multi-Topic Conference, IMTIC (International Conference on Emerging Technologies) is the flagship annual conference of IEEE in Pakistan.
Addressing the event, the Chief Guest, Former Vice Chancellor of Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili said that aside from different benefits, the conference offers an opportunity for researchers and scholars to sit together and discuss different options to serve mankind and bring a positive change in society for the betterment of people. We need to complement each other instead of competing with each other. We need people who can make a difference. Sir Syed University is a symbol of promoting education.
On the occasion, Chancellor SSUET, Jawaid Anwar’s message stated, “The first requisite for the progress of a nation is brotherhood and unity amongst sections of society. This spirit of unity and collaboration was truly embodied in IMTIC ’2023. We share a sense of accomplishment, having persistently explored state-of-the-art ideas. The 3-day conference has facilitated fruitful in-depth discussions and communication.
Speaking on the auspicious occasion, Vice Chancellor SSUET, Prof. Dr. Vali Uddin, said that the conference is projected to share significant knowledge of the state of the art advances and cutting-edge technologies, which is expected to acquire tremendous interest with the enormous presence of a quality audience. The conference resulted in a fruitful discussion. We have learned a lot from the keynote sessions delivered by the amazing research scholars.
Presenting a vote of thanks, Registrar SSUET, Syed Sarfraz Ali said that the conference was aimed at bringing together a wide spectrum of international experts to facilitate a creative environment for the promotion of research collaboration and knowledge transfer.
He appreciated the contributions of keynote speakers towards imparting valuable knowledge to the participants of this conference and for adding glamour and extra value to this conference through their physical presence.
Meritorious Professor, and Chair of IEEE Karachi Section, Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry, said that “Based on Collaboration, Cooperation, and Continuity, IMTIC introduced a new dimension. The conference made Sir Syed University and Mehran University go global, achieving more than 10 projects. IMTIC is a gateway to so many other opportunities.
Coordinator and Dean FoE&CE, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aamir said that IMTIC has been a regular feature of Sir Syed University and Mehran University. For the conference, around 154 papers were submitted, among which 40 were presented. Knowledge and research outcome was shared by 12 keynote speakers. The conference had different sessions, including presentations, tutorials, and symposiums.

K-Electric signed a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MoU) with the Sindh government, Oracle Power, and PowerChina for the potential development of a 2×660 MW coal-fired power project based on Thar coal, the company’s website said.
The company claims it is committed to increasing reliance on indigenous sources of energy production to provide access to affordable energy for all.
KE was represented by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Moonis Alvi, while Secretary of Energy Abu Bakar Ahmed was present from the provincial government, Naheed Memon, CEO of Oracle Power, and Cheng Qiang from PowerChina.
Oracle Power is an international natural resource and power project developer listed on London’s stock exchange, while PowerChina is a Fortune 500 listed integrated construction group that has completed over 40 various projects in Pakistan with a total contract value of approximately USD 6 billion, and an additional 43 projects worth USD 7.5 billion currently under execution, company’s communication on its portal says.
Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Shaikh who spoke on the occasion stated “Electricity is a fundamental driver of development and progress, and this collaboration is a big step in this direction. Once operational, this project will immensely benefit the entire province which is why we are committed to providing our full support until its maturity.“
The main objective of the MoU is to provide a collaborative framework for the partnering parties, setting the stage for the establishment of this ambitious power plant. For KE, this move aligns with the company’s forward-looking plan of enhancing its generation through the addition of low-cost, indigenous fuel-based power.
The company has shared its vision of adding a total of 2,200 MW to its generation capacity by 2030 and increasing its share of renewable energy to 30% of the overall mix. The inclusion of such generation capacity also aligns with KE’s future projections for the city, which envisages a customer base of 5 million using 5,000 MW of electricity by FY30.
CEO KE Moonis Alvi also shared his excitement on the occasion, stating that “As a company, our ambition and initiatives are towards achieving net zero and tackling the energy trilemma which balances reliability, affordability, and sustainability of energy supply. Our current partnership and our future plans will greatly enable us to reduce our reliance on imported fuels. Moving forward, we are also enhancing our share of renewable energy in the generation mix to provide affordable and sustainable electricity to customers. These plans are further complemented by our comprehensive investment plan of PKR 484 billion, which will strengthen the network and deliver energy effectively to our growing customer base.”
CEO of Oracle Power Naheed Memon reiterated her company’s commitment to the development of the CPEC-listed 1320 MW coal-to-power project. She shared that Oracle has produced world-class feasibility reports which became benchmark documents for its development. Oracle Power is very pleased to have formed a strategic relationship with KE as a potential off-taker and the Government of Sindh as a facilitator and important stakeholder.
A representative from PowerChina shared that the development of the Thar Project is of great importance to Pakistan in the sense of utilizing the local coal resource. Oracle 1320MW Coal Power Project is listed as one of the priority energy projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC). With the guidance and participation of the Sindh Government, together with KE and Oracle, PowerChina will provide support for the success of the project.
Earlier this year, KE also entered into an MOU with China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Limited (CTGSAIL) to collaborate on exploring renewable energy projects across the country. — PR

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations says the El Niño oceanographic phenomenon forecast will return in June 2023, following three years of La Niña and thus is expected to bring dry weather conditions in around 42 countries and excessive rainfall and possible flooding in over 20 countries including Pakistan.
The forecast, says the FAO report, suggests dry weather conditions in key cropping areas of Central America, Southern Africa, and Far East Asia, while excessive rainfall and possible flooding are foreseen in Near East Asia and East Africa.
In other words, as many as 42 countries will be at risk of dry conditions and may face drought and 20 countries are at risk of excessive rainfall.
The El Niño oceanographic phenomenon is a key driver of extreme weather events that pose high risks to global food security.
Already in 2022, the number of people facing acute food insecurity was projected to reach up to 222 million in 53 countries/territories, the highest level on record according to the latest Hunger Hotspots report, the UN body writes.
“The world experienced a third consecutive La Niña event in 2022 and early 2023, a rare occurrence that has happened only twice since 1950. La Niña events are commonly associated with wetter conditions in Australia and drier conditions in the United States of America, South America, and East Africa. Reflecting these typical weather patterns, widespread flooding occurred in Australia where also bumper wheat outputs were recorded in 2021 and 2022, while drought conditions curbed wheat and maize yields in the United States of America as well as in Near East Asian countries.”
According to the report, weather forecasts point to a transition to an El Niño state in the second half of 2023 and the rainfall patterns during El Niño events tend to be the reverse of La Niña.
This report primarily focuses on dry weather conditions, considering the significant impact that water stress has on agricultural production and that a larger area of cropland is affected by rainfall deficits compared to areas expected to receive above-normal precipitation.
“The analysis examines cereal crops, given their high share of calories in total food consumption, notably in low-income countries, and, therefore, their importance for food security. There are, in addition, hazards associated with El Niño-induced wetter conditions, primarily floods, and areas with a high likelihood of excessive rainfall are also mapped.”
The report says several countries in those regions expected to remain dry are currently suffering from economic instability, due to low economic growth, unsustainable debt levels, and foreign exchange shortages, which have contributed to high inflation rates.
In the event of an agriculture production shock, this economic instability could pose challenges for countries to increase needed imports.
It further says wetter conditions are normally conducive for agricultural production, excessive rainfall amounts raise the risk of flooding, with potentially negative repercussions for the agriculture sector through damage and losses of crops. Even without triggering floods, excessively humid conditions often raise the likelihood of an increased prevalence of crop pests and weeds, as well as outbreaks of crop and animal diseases.
The identification of croplands most susceptible to El Niño effects is intended to support preparedness and response planning to minimize the negative impacts on agriculture and food security. The inclusion of the cropping calendars is to provide additional guidance on the type of support that would be most suitable for these countries. Preparing for El Niño FAO has developed Anticipatory Action (AA) standard procedures to be followed in most countries at risk of being affected by El Niño in 2023/24, where food security is a major concern. For instance, there are active AA protocols in Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Central American countries. In addition, FAO is ready to implement agricultural and livelihood-based interventions, in coordination with governments and humanitarian partners, should the El Niño forecast materialize.