SUMMARY

Energy security is o­ne of the decisive factors to guarantee the nation’s prosperity and sustainable development. Because of its very important role, guarantee of energy security is the main issue which isinterested in by all nations in the world.

THE REAL SITUATION OF EXPLOITATION AND USE ENERGY SOURCES IN THE WORLD

Along with the technological and scientific achievements, energy exploitation and use levels increase rapidly. However, the energy production and use are quite different among regions and nations. In the industrialized countries, the consumption level takes account 70% of the total energy consumption in the world, meanwhile their population just accounts for 22%.

In the last three centuries, the energy exploitation and use have increased 3000 times.On the structure of energy consumption, the rate of oil takes account of 38%, coal and gas take account 40%, the rest of 20% for other energies.Therefore, at present and near future, the world still depends o­n the oil source and the oil price changes will affect significantly o­n the world economy. At the exploitation level as now, the oil, gas and coal sources just could be exploited within 40-50 years, 60 years, and 200 years respectively.

At present, the world economy facing some risks threatening the global energy security, such as, over exploitation and use for energy resulting in run out of energy sources;Increasingly conflicts to strive for energy sources; Production decrease and low investment in the oil industry.

To ensure the energy sources for life and production, besides exploiting and using more efficiently the traditional products, the world has tried to find out new energy sources. These past decades have witnessed a revolution in finding and creating new energy sources such as wind power, solar power, nuclear power and bio-energy,…

SOME SOLUTIONS TO GUARANTEE ENERGY SECURITY OF SOME NATIONS

United State: Over last 30 years, the dependence level o­n imported oil of the US has increased two times, and at present, the US has to import about 30% of total oil consumption. Therefore, energy saving is an important policy adopted by the US to guarantee the country’s energy security.In the same time, the US focuses strongly to invest in three potential power production: clean coal technology, nuclear power, and wind power.

- China:China has built actively energy security strategy, in which paying attention o­n energy savings, adjusting energy structure and seeking for new energy sources. For the important oil energy source, China has a separate strategy: strengthening to research and exploit domestic oil and gas; limiting the dependence o­n oil and use substitute energy kinds; joining international system; building and perfecting reserve oil system.

- Japan: Japan is promoting actively to undertake measures for guarantee of energy security through a new energy strategy. Under the strategy, Japan wants to reduce dependence o­n oil at the level of 40% or lower in 2030 compared to the level of 50% at present.For guarantee of energy security, Japan continues to adopt the saving policy, technological innovation, strengthen abroad oil exploitation, and develop nuclear power.

THE REAL SITUATION OF EXPLOITATION AND USE ENERGY SOURCES IN VIETNAM

Although VietNam is a country that has potentials o­n primary energy, so far VietNam still is among countries with very low energy production compared to the average level in the world.As an exported country for crude oil and coal, VietNam still has to import power, fuels, oil and gas with tens millions tons each year. These factors have exposed VietNam in the urgent situation to issue a good energy development strategy for guarantee of national energy security.

Many problems facing VietNam in the processes of energy management, exploitation and use. For example, the energy system has been developed under inappropriate manner, and big losses in energy exploitation and use.

FORCASTING VIETNAM’S ENERGY SITUATION TO 2020 AND POLICY FOR GUARANTEE OF ENERGY SECURITY

According to forecasting statistics, to2020, Vietnam will be energy imported country with the shortage of 36 billions kWh. Therefore, to ensure energy security, VietNam must focus o­n two ways: increasing effectiveness in using and saving energy, in the same time, VietNam needs to foster strongly new energy sources, such as bio-energy, wind and solar power,…

The VietNam Communist Party has directed the policy expressed in the National Energy Development Strategy “Energy development must be in the first step to fulfill socio-economic development requirements, guaranteeing of national energy security”. The government has undertaken research and introduce the “VietNam’s national energy development to 2025 and vision to 2050”, in which emphasizing that Viet Nam needs pay attention o­n exploiting effectively domestic natural resources; ensuring to provide energy with high quality and reasonable prices to socio-economic development; diversifying investment and business modes in the energy area and gradually establish competitive energy market,…

In short, to make sure that Vietnam will be safe in terms of energy security, some solutions as the follows must be undertaken: Creating favorable institutional environment to develop energy industry; undertaking research for new energy sources; using and saving energy effectively; and fostering strongly international cooperation in the energy area.

Source: Center for Information and Documentation - CIEM
              VNEP, Oct. 2007.