The second meeting of the Steering Committee of the Vietnam-Denmark Energy Partnership Program in the period of 2020-2025 (DEPP3 Program) was held on March 9th 2023 in Hanoi. It was attended by representatives from the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam, and the Department of Energy Effciency and Sustainable Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Danish Energy Agency and Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam. It was also attended by officials from agencies involving in the implementation of the programme. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An and Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz co-chaired the meeting.

This is the second time the Steering Committee met. The first one was held on April 19th 2022 at the Mistry of Industry and Trade headquater, where the Steering Committee approved the program's work plan for 2022.

Making an opening speech, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An thanked for the Danish Government, Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam (EDK), Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate (MEUC) and the Ambassador for the positive support and close cooperation for the past time. That contributed to strengthen the relationship between the two governments as well as promote the energy sector's sustainable development in Vietnam. 

An requested the units' representatives to make opinions on issues (if any) that needed to be improved or added so that the Steering Committee gave instruction at the meeting, ensuring the effective cooperation among parties in implementing the program's activities in the comming time.

DEPP3 Program is a technical assistance project sponsored by the Danish Government. The program is tailored to continue the achieved results between Vietnam and Denmark in the energy sector of the preceding period (DEPP2 Program). The DEPP3 program consists of three components: Component 1 - Capacity Development for long-term energy sector planning, Component 2 - Capacity Development for Renewable Energy Integration into the Power System, Component 3 - Low carbon development in the industrial sector.

Despite the COVID-19 impacts, last year, positive results were recorded in the implementation of the programme. In 2022, the units of Vietnam and Denmark have made great efforts in coordinating the activities of all three components of the program. Some positive results have been obtained.

Mr. Loui Algren, Country Manager at the Danish Energy Agency, presented the program' progress. With the Component 1 - Capacity Development for long-term energy sector planning run by the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority (EREA), Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2021 was finalized and launched on time. A workshop on how global cost trends for offshore wind translate to Vietnam was also organized successully, he said.

With the Component 2 - Capacity Development for Renewable Energy Integration into the Power System run by Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV), expert meetings on BRPs and Aggregators, Market Design and Tariff Design were conducted. Support the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) in optimal combination for forecasts and in optimal outage planning was also finalised. A high level study tour and a technical study tour conducted covering all outputs was held in 2022 as well. 

With the Component 3 - Low carbon development in the industrial sector run by Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department, a study tour for Vietnam delegation in Denmark within energy efficiency was conducted. Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department is now finalizing the draft energy benchmarking for plastic sector.

Danish Ambassor to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz highly appreciated these achieved results. However, there were some activities that were implemented a little bit slowly. He requested the units to make efforts to improve them. 

Agreeing with Danish Ambassador Nicolai Prytz, Deputy Minister Dang Hoang An also appreciated the results and pointed some restrictions that needed covercoming in 2023.

The representatives of the units participating in the program presented their proposed work plans in 2023 with detailed contents at the meeting. After discussing, the Steering Committee approved the work plan in 2023.

Also at the meeting, the draft voluntary agreement scheme (VAS) concept was also approved. Many enterprises face a pressure to improve energy efficiency. However, there are a number of barriers standing in the way of implementation of the large potential for energy efficiency improvements in Vietnam. The VAS intends to address two of the biggest barriers to energy efficiency implementation in industries, including lack of technical capacity to develop and implement projects and limited access to finance.