Vietnam’s meteoric rise in power demand will cause a frantic surge of capacity installations and grid upgrades over the next decade, as part of its eighth national Power Development Plan (PDP 8). A draft of the plan was published this week by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), acknowledging that the country’s rapid economic development will have to be facilitated by a rethink of its energy supply. Between 2021 and 2030 – the period encompassed by the PDP 8 – Vietnam’s GDP is expected to nearly double, rising at an average rate of 6.6% per year. Naturally, this growth will depend on vast expansion in industrial activity, both for domestic and international trade, and will entail a significant boost…