In the first half of 2026, Vietnam's coal production was 23.2217 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 5.7%. Among them, the production in June was 3.9561 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 6.9% and a month on month increase of 4.3%. At the same time, the import volume of coal reached 40.1115 million tons during the same period, a year-on-year increase of 6.0%. In June, the monthly import volume was 7.1853 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 12.2%. Between one drop and one rise, Vietnam's dependence on imported coal is continuously increasing.

High demand for thermal power drives imports to accelerate

The actual operation data of Vietnam's power system shows that the annual demand for coal-fired power has exceeded 80 million tons, while the domestic average annual mining capacity is only about 40 to 45 million tons, with a significant gap.

In 2026, Vietnam is expected to import 17 to 19 million tons of bituminous and sub bituminous coal for power generation, accounting for approximately 20% to 22% of the total coal-fired power demand for that year. The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has explicitly requested to strengthen the guarantee of imported coal sources and submitted a diplomatic note to the Indonesian side regarding changes in Indonesia's coal export policy, seeking stable supply. Keywords: coal supply-demand gap, imported coal

At the same time, Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industry Group's coal consumption in the first half of the year reached 27.38 million tons, of which 22.77 million tons were used for power generation. In May, coal consumption reached a new high for the year, reaching 4.92 million tons. The decline in production combined with the rigid growth in demand for thermal power makes it difficult to reverse Vietnam's dependence on coal imports in the short term.Editor/Cheng Liting