5:46:27 PM | 10/1/2026
Following the “Building the Grids of the Future” media roundtable held in Hanoi on September 30, where experts and development partners discussed with media about the evolving requirements of Vietnam’s power system, the Electricity Authority of Vietnam (EAV), Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Global Energy Alliance) on October 1 convened a task force meeting to advance implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on energy transition cooperation signed recently by the two sides.
The meeting marked the next step in translating the cooperation between the two sides into concrete areas of work, with a focus on grid modernization and digitalization, BESS development, improving system flexibility and reliability, knowledge sharing and domestic capacity building. Discussions at the September 30 roundtable provided additional practical perspectives for the cooperation priorities considered by the task force.
New Requirements for Vietnam’s Power Grid
At the September 30 roundtable, experts noted that rapidly growing electricity demand, combined with the increasing share of renewable energy and distributed energy resources, is creating new requirements for the way the power system is monitored and operated.
The value that BESS can provide depends on where systems are deployed and how they are operated. Depending on local system needs, storage systems may be deployed near load centers, in areas with significant renewable generation, or at locations where the grid is frequently under pressure. Their location and operating strategy will influence how BESS can contribute to balancing supply and demand, reducing pressure on the grid and improving the utilization of existing infrastructure.
Another important requirement is strengthening “grid visibility” - the ability to observe, collect data and understand what is happening across the power grid. As the number of BESS systems increases, the challenge is not only to deploy more battery systems, but also to monitor and coordinate multiple BESS installations across the grid effectively. Utilities will need timely data and digital tools to monitor grid conditions, anticipate changes and make appropriate operational decisions.
Advancing Digital Solutions for BESS Management
To support this need, Global Energy Alliance presented ongoing work on a centralized energy management and scheduling platform for BESS. The platform enables the monitoring and optimization of multiple BESS systems deployed across different locations and voltage levels. Based on grid operating conditions and signals such as electricity price forecasts, the platform can support decisions on when and how individual systems should charge and discharge.
This approach is intended to optimize the operational value and economic efficiency of distributed storage systems, while also providing additional information to support power system management and operations.
The platform represents a practical application of digital technology in energy storage management and can provide useful insights and experience for broader efforts to strengthen system visibility, improve operational flexibility and support the effective integration of BESS into the power system.
Biswarup Ghosh, Global Director, Grids of the Future, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, speaks at the event
“BESS is not only about hardware. As the number of storage systems grows, software, data and coordination capabilities will play a significant role in determining how much value these systems can create for the grid,” said Biswarup Ghosh, Global Director, Grids of the Future, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet.
Building Domestic Capacity for the BESS Ecosystem
Another key topic discussed at the meeting was the proposed establishment of BESS Center of Excellence. The Center is envisioned as a platform for Vietnamese institutions, organizations, businesses and educational institutions to learn from international experience and collaborate on capacity building and access to resources in support of energy transition efforts.
Under the proposed approach, the Center could serve as a hub for research, training, testing, knowledge and experience sharing on energy storage technologies, building on technical work and stakeholder networks developed through earlier BESS activities. It could also support capacity building for regulators, utilities, businesses, universities and research institutions in Vietnam.
The Electricity Authority of Vietnam and its partners will continue discussions on the Center’s operating model, scope of functions, resources and implementation roadmap to ensure that it responds to practical needs and the evolving requirements of Vietnam’s power system.
Dr. Hoang Anh (center), Program Director of Electrical Engineering, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, speaks at the event
“The growing role of battery energy storage creates a need to strengthen local expertise among the agencies and organizations responsible for planning, managing, deploying, and operating these systems. The Center of Excellence will provide a space to build expertise, share experience, and develop the capabilities Vietnam needs as BESS is deployed at increasing scale,” said Dr. Hoang Anh, Program Director of Electrical Engineering, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
Vietnam also needs to further examine how BESS can create and be recognized for different forms of value within the power system. Depending on market structures, pricing mechanisms and use cases, BESS can provide a range of services, from energy time-shifting and peak-load support to broader system support services.
Defining these services, together with appropriate dispatch, operating and payment mechanisms, will be important areas for further study to support the development of BESS in line with the needs of Vietnam’s power system.
From National-Level Cooperation to Utility Applications
Cooperation between Global Energy Alliance and its Vietnamese partners is expanding from policy dialogue and technical assistance to practical applications at the utility level.
In addition to the MOU signed with the Electricity Authority of Vietnam, Global Energy Alliance on September 29, 2026 also signed an MOU on energy transition and grid modernization with Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC).
As an initial step, the two sides will implement a six-month Utility Charter program to assess EVNHCMC’s existing system, identify priorities and develop an implementation roadmap.
Potential areas of cooperation include developing a digital twin of the distribution grid, distributed energy resource management and BESS solutions.
Implementation at the utility level will provide opportunities to assess digital solutions and storage technologies under real-world operating conditions, while generating additional data and experience to inform grid modernization efforts in Vietnam.
Towards Vietnam’s Role in Regional Grid Modernization
These activities form part of Global Energy Alliance’s Grids of the Future program, which focuses on connecting solutions in grid digitalization, distributed renewable energy and energy storage with the practical conditions of individual countries.
In Vietnam, the combination of national-level dialogue, digital tools, utility-level applications and domestic technical capacity building is creating a foundation for modern grid solutions to be tested, refined and implemented in practice, paving the way for regional expansion.
Minh Nguyen (center), Vietnam Country Manager, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, speaks at the event
“Vietnam has significant potential to become an important hub for grid modernization in Southeast Asia. This presents an opportunity for Vietnam to develop solutions that respond to its own practical needs, while building experience that can be shared and applied more broadly across the region,” said Minh Nguyen, Vietnam Country Manager, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet.
“Modernizing Vietnam’s power grid requires continued cooperation and technical coordination across the energy sector as the system integrates increasing amounts of renewable energy and new technologies. Through our cooperation with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, we are jointly identifying practical priorities in areas such as grid digitalization and battery energy storage systems, while strengthening the technical foundations needed to support implementation,” said Tang The Hung, Deputy Director General, Electricity Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Beyond the priority areas outlined above, the Electricity Authority of Vietnam aims for the task force to continue exploring and proposing new cooperation initiatives based on Vietnam’s practical needs and the strengths of international partners. The objective is to ensure that the commitments under the MOU are translated into substantive activities with concrete outputs that support government agencies and businesses in implementation.
The two sides aim to establish the task force as a regular, flexible and effective mechanism for dialogue, strengthening the sharing of knowledge, experience and technology while mobilizing the resources needed to support Vietnam’s energy transition.
Through these areas of cooperation, the Electricity Authority of Vietnam and Global Energy Alliance seek to make a practical contribution to power system modernization, energy storage development and the integration of renewable energy, while supporting Vietnam in meeting the need for a secure, flexible and sustainable power system in the next phase of its development.
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
