Cách mạng năng lượng: Việt Nam HỌC ĐƯỢC GÌ TỪ THẾ GIỚI? | The Scienceholic

Key Concepts

• Energy Transition (Chuyển dịch năng lượng): The systemic shift from traditional fossil fuel-based energy systems to sustainable, renewable energy sources.
• Energy Vender (Energiewende): Germany's comprehensive long-term plan for transforming its energy system towards cleaner, safer, and more efficient sources.
• Renewable Energy Sources (Nguồn năng lượng tái tạo): Energy derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly, such as solar, wind, and hydropower.
• Fossil Fuels (Nhiên liệu hóa thạch): Non-renewable energy sources formed from the remains of ancient organisms, including coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Net Zero 2050: A global commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by the year 2050.
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (Phát thải khí nhà kính): Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
• Energy Security (An ninh năng lượng): The reliable and affordable supply of energy.
• Feed-in Tariffs (FITs): Government incentives that guarantee a fixed price for renewable energy fed into the grid.
• Auction Mechanism (Cơ chế đấu giá): A competitive bidding process for renewable energy projects to secure contracts at the lowest price.
• Grid Congestion Costs (Chi phí tắc nghẽn lưới điện): Costs incurred due to imbalances in electricity supply and demand, requiring the curtailment of renewable energy or the activation of fossil fuel plants.
• Just Transition (Chuyển đổi công bằng): Ensuring that the transition to a green economy is fair and inclusive, addressing the social and economic impacts on workers and communities.
• Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Contracts between electricity generators and buyers for the sale of electricity.
• Green Hydrogen (Hydrogen xanh): Hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources.

Summary

1. The Global Energy Transition: From Coal to Renewables

The 21st century presents significant challenges related to climate change and energy security, making the transition from traditional to renewable energy sources a strategic priority. This energy transition is a profound economic and social revolution reshaping the global industrial landscape. Germany's "Energiewende" strategy serves as a prominent model, illustrating both a steadfast vision and considerable challenges in cost, infrastructure, and human resources. Analyzing Germany's journey offers valuable lessons, particularly for developing nations like Vietnam, which are committed to clean energy. This video is supported by the GIZ ESP program, commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany, with events held in Hanoi from October 17-19, 2025.

Historically, humanity has undergone several energy transitions, from wood and water power to coal for the First Industrial Revolution, and subsequently to oil and gas, which powered the 20th century's industrial and transportation advancements. In recent decades, this transition has accelerated due to global climate commitments, notably the Net Zero 2050 pledge at COP26, imposing legal and ethical obligations on nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recent energy crises have also underscored the importance of energy security and reducing reliance on imported fuels.

Globally, renewable energy capacity has surpassed traditional sources since 2010. Renewables accounted for over 30% of global electricity generation in 2023 and over 40% in 2024. Leading examples include Denmark, a pioneer in wind energy aiming for 100% renewable electricity by 2050; Finland, with over 50% renewable generation in 2023 and plans to phase out coal by 2030; and Norway, which derives 98% of its electricity from renewables, largely due to its hydropower tradition.

Germany's Energiewende stands out as a unique case. Unlike countries with geographical advantages, Germany, a large industrial economy with high and stable energy demand, faces a more complex transition. Its approach is not merely technical but a broad social and political project built on public consensus, highlighting the challenges of cost, grid stability, and social impact in a large-scale energy transformation.

2. Energiewende: Germany's Energy Transition Story

"Energiewende" is a German term meaning "energy transition." It's Germany's ambitious, long-term plan to fundamentally alter energy production, distribution, and consumption. The ultimate goal is an energy system that is:

1. Cleaner: Primarily based on renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
2. Safer: Eliminating nuclear energy and significantly reducing fossil fuels.
3. More Efficient: Maximizing energy savings across all sectors.

Vision and Core Objectives: The foundation of Energiewende is the "Energy Concept" document, adopted by the German government in 2010, outlining a roadmap to 2050. This policy balances energy security (stable supply), affordability (reasonable prices), and environmental protection (emission reduction). Germany aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% and primary energy consumption by 50% by 2050. The target for renewable energy in electricity consumption is at least 80% by 2050, with an interim goal of 65% by 2040. The strategy prioritizes efficiency: reduce consumption first, then meet remaining needs with renewables.

Three Main Pillars: Energiewende is implemented through three core strategies: phasing out old energy sources, expanding clean energy, and enhancing energy efficiency.

• Phasing Out Old Energy:

  • Nuclear Power: Following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, Germany committed to phasing out all nuclear power plants by the end of 2022. The last three plants were shut down on April 15, 2023.
  • Coal Power: As the largest source of carbon emissions, Germany has committed to phasing out coal power by 2038, potentially as early as 2035. To mitigate the socio-economic impact on coal-mining regions, the government has pledged €40 billion for economic restructuring and job creation. However, recent energy crises and concerns over gas supply from Russia have led to a reassessment of nuclear power, with Germany expressing willingness to cooperate with France on including nuclear energy within EU renewable frameworks. Some coal-fired power plants have been temporarily reactivated or put on standby, but the commitment to phase out coal by 2030 remains.

• Expanding Renewable Energy: This is a central focus of Energiewende. Germany utilizes the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) to promote investment in wind and solar. Initially, the government offered fixed Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) for renewable energy projects, providing investor security and fostering technological development. As wind and solar technologies became cheaper, FITs became too costly, leading Germany to transition to an auction mechanism where contracts are awarded to projects offering the lowest prices, driving competition and reducing consumer costs.

  These efforts have significantly increased the share of renewables in electricity consumption to nearly 38% by 2018. The proportion of renewables in the country's total electricity generation has surged from 6.3% in 2000 to nearly 60% in 2023 and 62.7% in 2024. Wind and solar power are the main drivers, accounting for about 75% of total renewable electricity. Onshore and offshore wind power are the most significant public power generation sources, contributing 139.8 TWh in 2023 (32% of total generation). Germany also promotes rooftop and balcony solar power, enabling self-consumption and grid feed-in. This bottom-up model means nearly 47% of Germany's renewable capacity is owned by individuals and small energy cooperatives, fostering broad social participation.

  Beyond wind and solar, Germany invests in other renewables. Biogas plants provide stable, 24/7 power to complement the intermittency of wind and solar. In the long term, Germany is investing in green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity as a decarbonization solution for heavy industry and non-electrifiable transport.

• Prioritizing Energy Efficiency: The principle is simple: the cheapest energy is the energy not used. Germany aims for significant savings through its National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAP). This plan focuses on:

  • Providing information and advice to consumers on saving energy.
  • Offering financial incentives for energy efficiency upgrades (e.g., building insulation).
  • Implementing stricter mandatory standards for new buildings and electrical appliances. The goal is to reduce primary energy consumption by 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.

Remaining Challenges: Energiewende is a long journey with significant obstacles:

• Grid Issues: The success of renewables has strained the grid, which struggles to keep pace. Much wind power is generated in the North, while demand is highest in the industrial South. Insufficient transmission capacity leads to imbalances, forcing grid operators to activate fossil fuel plants in the South and curtail wind turbines in the North to prevent blackouts. These "congestion costs," amounting to hundreds of millions of euros annually, are passed on to consumers. The government is prioritizing grid expansion and upgrades, despite public opposition to new transmission lines.
• Sectoral Imbalances: While the electricity sector has transformed well, other sectors like transport and heating lag behind in emission reduction, accounting for a significant portion (76%) of Germany's final energy demand. Critics argue Germany has only achieved an "electricity transition" rather than a comprehensive "energy transition."
• Pricing and Social Equity: To fund renewable energy subsidies, an EEG surcharge was added to electricity bills, making German household electricity prices among the highest in Europe. In 2018, German households paid the third-highest electricity price among IEA member countries ($353/MWh), with surcharges and taxes comprising about half the total cost. The EEG surcharge alone was around €81 per household in 2018. Large industries often received exemptions to maintain competitiveness, shifting the cost burden to households. To alleviate this, the EEG surcharge was abolished in mid-2022, reflecting an effort to balance environmental goals with social equity. The government also established a Climate Cabinet and adopted the Climate Action Program 2030, introducing carbon pricing for heating and transport fuels and increasing subsidies for electric vehicles and public transport to create consistent price signals across sectors.
• Impact on Workforce: While the green industry creates jobs, the transition also leads to a severe shortage of skilled labor, with an estimated need for 300,000 additional workers by 2030. Early recognition of this risk has prompted long-term training and retraining programs to equip the workforce with necessary skills for the growing clean energy sector, turning labor challenges into new employment opportunities.

3. Valuable Lessons from Germany

Germany's Energiewende offers crucial lessons for countries pursuing climate and clean energy goals, including Vietnam:

• Clear Policy Framework and Ambitious Goals: Germany's long-term Energy Concept (to 2050) provides policy clarity and investment direction. Ambitious targets like 80-95% GHG emission reduction and nuclear phase-out by 2022, though challenging, drive innovation in renewables.
• Policy Flexibility: Germany's success in the electricity sector was initially driven by strong support mechanisms like the EEG and FITs. However, flexibility is key. As costs escalated, Germany shifted to competitive auctions to reduce consumer costs.
• Grid Expansion and Integration: The biggest challenge is expanding and strengthening the grid in sync with renewable energy growth. Delays lead to massive congestion management costs. Therefore, system integration and grid investment must be top priorities, inseparable from clean energy capacity expansion.
• Cross-Sectoral Coordination: Energiewende's success is primarily in the electricity sector. Transport and heating sectors lag, hindering overall decarbonization. Lessons learned include harmonizing taxes and fees to create consistent price signals across sectors. Carbon pricing for heating and transport fuels is a positive step to encourage electrification (e.g., heat pumps, EVs). Countries should also eliminate implicit subsidies for fossil fuels (e.g., low taxes on heating oil and diesel) to incentivize alternative investments.
• Managing Social and Industrial Transition: Transition requires social consensus. Germany uses multi-stakeholder commissions (e.g., the coal commission) to manage difficult decisions like coal phase-out, ensuring stability and public acceptance. This includes providing billions in transition support for affected regions. Other countries need to distribute transition costs more equitably, avoiding disproportionate burdens on households while industries receive exemptions.
• Enhancing R&D: Increased investment in research and development, especially in system-wide and cross-sectoral solutions like storage and sector coupling, is crucial for achieving long-term goals.

4. Vietnam's Journey

Vietnam's commitment to Net Zero 2050 at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2021 demonstrates strong political will for energy transition. This is further detailed in the revised Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8), setting ambitious targets: 28-36% renewable energy by 2030 and 74-75% by 2050. To achieve this, Vietnam has signed the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), with international partners committing an initial $15.5 billion to support decarbonization.

Vietnam has made encouraging initial progress, driven by incentives for renewable energy development, including tax and land support, and FIT mechanisms. The growth rate of its renewable energy sector, particularly solar power, has been described as extraordinary by international organizations. Consequently, hydropower and other renewables accounted for nearly 55% of total installed power capacity by the end of 2024.

To realize these ambitious goals, Vietnam can learn from successful countries. Support from experienced partners like Germany, especially in policy, finance, and infrastructure, will be vital for Vietnam to overcome internal barriers and transform its potential into sustainable growth.

Since 2009, the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), on behalf of the German government, has supported Vietnam's goals of promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. The GIZ Energy Support Program (ESP) became a priority area of cooperation in 2013. Germany actively supports Vietnam's energy transition based on its own experiences, covering policy research, human resources, and business cooperation.

Policy and Institutional Support: GIZ ESP activities target policymakers and the private sector, integrating policy incentives with private investment. The program proposes monitoring and adjustment mechanisms for state agencies to ensure sustainable energy development. International experts have conducted studies on incentives for wind, solar, and biomass power, contributing to a surge in installed capacity. For instance, wind power capacity increased from 157 MW in 2017 (before FITs) to 6,337 MW in 2023, a more than 40-fold increase. GIZ experts collaborate with key Vietnamese energy bodies (Ministry of Industry and Trade, Central Economic Committee, EVN) to propose energy transition roadmaps, guiding future development strategies and paving the way for Vietnam's Net Zero 2050 commitment. GIZ also co-published "Energy Transition Vietnam: Opportunities and Challenges" and researched the establishment of a national energy information system and a Vietnam Renewable Energy Center.

GIZ also facilitated the Vietnam Energy Partnership Group (VEPG), a key policy dialogue forum established in 2017 to effectively utilize international support for Vietnam's sustainable energy development and promote stakeholder engagement in the transition, aligning with national laws and international conventions. GIZ served as VEPG's secretariat for four years, supporting technical working groups and high-level dialogues. The Vietnam-Germany energy partnership was elevated in July 2024, building on the bilateral energy dialogue established in 2022.

Human Resource Development: Germany recognizes that knowledge access is key to operating an efficient, stable, and safe power system, driving sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency development in Vietnam. Various programs target three main groups:

• Experts: Basic and advanced training, train-the-trainer programs, and international exchange visits are organized for government officials, experts, businesses, research institutes, and universities. Topics include wind power, rooftop solar, biomass, smart grids, and green hydrogen, with a focus on practical aspects like quality assurance, occupational safety, and maintenance.
• Young Workforce: Communication campaigns raise awareness and inform youth about career opportunities in renewables. GIZ ESP supports student forums, job fairs, and competitions to provide information and opportunities. The "Student Forum" competition encourages innovative ideas and practical solutions for Vietnam's Net Zero goals.
• Media: GIZ organizes annual training for journalists on renewable energy and energy efficiency to ensure broad societal awareness.

Business and Community Cooperation: Germany aims for dual-purpose business cooperation: promoting technology transfer by sharing its extensive experience in renewables and energy efficiency, and facilitating partnerships between Vietnamese and German universities and private companies. GIZ connects businesses through roundtables, technology exhibitions, and sector-specific forums. Examples include the Green Hydrogen Hub Vietnam, Business Breakfasts, German Expert Placement Program (GEPP), Energy Efficiency Club (EEC), Vietnam Women in Energy Network (VVN), Bioenergy Expert Desk, and private sector projects transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Energiewende is a story of political commitment, social innovation, and managing a complex national transition. Despite significant cost and infrastructure challenges, Germany has achieved impressive success, charting a new path for global economies. For Vietnam, the lessons from Germany are invaluable. With vast renewable energy potential and strong determination, Vietnam can transform current challenges into opportunities to build a low-carbon economy, enhance energy security, and achieve sustainable development goals.