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The latest draft of the country’s power development plan puts focus on renewable energy development – however, the Mekong Delta should see more attention in the development of renewables to protect its assets in the long run. Mekong Delta long-term future relying on renewables, illustration photo The latest draft of the National Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8) calculates with an expected commercial power capacity estimated at 491 billion kWh by 2030, and 877 billion kWh by 2045. To develop power capacity, the total installed power generation is planned to hit 137.2GW, contributed by 27 per cent coal-fired power, 21 per cent thermal gas, 18 per cent hydropower, and 29 per cent renewable energies, as well as 4 per cent imported energy by 2030. By 2045, the capacity of installed power is planned to be around 276.7GW, supplied by 18 per cent coal thermal power, 24 per cent thermal gas, 9 per cent hydropower, and 44 per cent of renewable energies, as well as 2 per cent of imported energy. “The PDP8 highlights the evolvement of renewables, in addition to hydropower, with a significant increase from 13 per cent in 2020 to nearly 30 per cent in 2030 and 44 per cent in 2045, while most other sources will be reduced,” said Le Anh Tuan, deputy director of Can Tho University’s Research Institute for Climate Change. In the view of Tuan, the draft PDP8 is different in many ways to its predecessor, removing 5,000MW of coal thermal power and significantly raising the contribution ratio of renewable energies. However, Tuan also raised some issues like capital sources, the suitability of green finance solutions, and banking that are all also mentioned in the Politburo’s Resolution No.55-NQ/TW dated October 2, 2020 on the orientation of Vietnam’s National Energy Development Strategy until 2030 and outlook to 2045. It will be tough for coal power projects to mobilise capital in the future, because numerous global financial institutions are divesting from …

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With Vietnamese regulators’ efforts to minimise the risks of corporate bonds’ mass issuance, the landscape is predicted to be cooled down compared to a frenzy of debt instruments in the previous period. Corporate bond rush heads for slowdown. According to fresh data from the Hanoi Stock Exchange, as of January 22, there were seven successful corporate bond private placements with a total value of $279 million and two public offerings of $70 million. The real estate sector accounted for $233.7 million, equivalent to 66.9 per cent of the total issued value. Previously, over $17.82 billion of corporate bonds were issued last year, which increased by 38.5 per cent from end-2019 and 83.5 per cent from end-2018. Albeit a decline in the last quarter of 2020’s issuance volume the real estate sector witnessed the largest corporate bond issuance volume in 2020 of over $6.09 billion, accounting for over 35 per cent of total issuance value at an average coupon rate of 10.52 per cent. The banking sector also made up for nearly 30 per cent, with an average coupon rate of 6.69 per cent, lower than 7.06 per cent in 2019. Some significant bond issuers included BIDV, VietinBank, HDBank, and TPBank. The rush of corporate bond issuance has sought attention from yield-hunt investors in the face of ultra-low interest rates. “Rising medium- and long-term capital demands to satisfy stricter regulations on credit safety limits and capital adequacy ratio in 2021 were putting much pressure on commercial banks to raise funds from bond issuance in late 2020,” explained Nguyen Tu Anh, director of the General Economic Department under the Central Party’s Economic Commission. “On the other hand, foreign investors have been closely engaged in the domestic debt market. In 2020, foreign investors were actively net buyers, expect only three months of slight net-selling, with a total net buying value of $179.7 million.” However, the lack of transparency and independent credit …

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South Korean violin artist JMI KO, singers Seok Hun, Han Sara, and a K-pop dance troupe will perform in Hoi An from April 9 to 11 during the Korean Culture Day event, an annual cultural exchange between South Korea and Quang Nam province. South Korean singer Han Sara will perform at the Korean Culture Day in the central province of Quang Nam. Photo courtesy of Korean Cultural Centre The event will be held at the An Hoi Sculpture Garden, featuring an array of cultural performances, cuisine, and traditional arts of Korea and Hoi An. "Vietnam and Korea are making our 'family relationship' better," said South Korean ambassador Park Noh-wan. "I'm glad to introduce Korean culture to people in Quang Nam. I hope this year's event will bring the people of the two countries closer over the barriers of culture and language." Visitors will have the chance to experience Korean culture and cuisine from 3pm-6pm on April 10 and 11 including handicrafts, games and a lucky draw. From 7pm to 9pm, music shows will entertain event goers with performances by Korean and Vietnamese artists. Violinist JMI Ko is popular in Vietnam with her music video Xin Chào Việt Nam (Hello Vietnam) featuring beautiful landscapes including Hoi An. She has been living and working in HCM City for ten years. Singer Han Sara participated in Giọng Hát Việt (The Voice of Vietnam)'s season 4. Her songs are popular among young listeners. The South Korean Embassy in Hanoi has cooperated with the People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province to host the National Taekwondo Clubs Championships - Korean Ambassador Cup 2021 from April 7 to 14. The tournament is co-hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre in Vietnam with the support of the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation, the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and the People’s Committee of Hoi An with the participation of nearly 1,000 taekwondo athletes, coaches and staff. The UNESCO-recognised world heritage Hoi An and the …

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