The European Union (EU) plans to provide around 400 million EUR (425.8million USD) in non-refundable assistance for Vietnam from 2014-2020 tohelp the country develop sustainable energy projects.

Theinformation was revealed by Dr. Franz Jessen, the Ambassador-Head of theEU Delegation to Vietnam at a workshop held in Hanoi on March 15.

Franz Jessen said the support programme’s objectives are toassist Vietnam in devising and enforcing policies on sustainable energydevelopment.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Industryand Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said Vietnam is in need of support to improvepolicymaking and strategy building for developing and planning itsenergy industry.

The country is also working to build acompetitive energy market, improve productivity, increase the proportionof clean and renewable energy sources and promote measures to conserveand effectively use energy, Vuong stressed.

He said he hopesEU’s support, which will be funnelled into the two key areas of Stateadministration and sustainable energy development, will contribute toimproving energy production and use in Vietnam.

According toVietnam’s national energy development strategy, the country is set toreach a total production of 100-110 million tonnes of primary energy oilequivalent (TOE) by 2020 and around 310-320 million TOE by 2050. Theproportion of new and renewable energy sources is hoped to rise to about5 percent of the total output by 2020.

At the workshop, theMinistry of Industry and Trade and the EU Delegation to Vietnam signedan agreement to forge links in the field.

Participants also gavetheir opinions on how to conserve and use energy efficiently whilediscussing rural electrification and competitive electricity marketdevelopment in Vietnam.-VNA