Promoting digital transformation to ensure national energy security

Mining activities at the Bạch Hổ oil field. —VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — Thanks to the implementation of the strategic orientations of the Party and the State, Việt Nam's energy industry with three pillars of oil and gas, coal and electricity has developed strongly, serving socio-economic development as well as people's everyday life, a seminar heard on Monday.

In a seminar on promoting digital transformation to ensure national energy security by 2050 held by the Công thương (Industry and Trade) newspaper, experts said that the energy industry has had many innovations, applying achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including digital transformation in all activities of management, operation, exploitation and use of energy resources. This has helped improve the efficiency of production, business, and customer service in accordance with the competitive market, adapting to the context of international integration.

In the national digital transformation programme, energy is one of eight priority areas for implementation.

Decision No 749 dated June 3, 2020 approving the National Digital Transformation Programme by 2025 and orientation to 2030 of the Prime Minister, defines that digital transformation in the energy sector focuses on the power sector towards maximising and automating networks for efficient power supply.

The decision also defines the connection of digital meters to improve speed and billing accuracy, identify network problems faster and assist users in ways to save energy and detect power losses.

Ngô Thúy Quỳnh, deputy director of Petroleum and Coal Department under Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that technology and digital transformation in the oil and gas exploitation sector is evaluated as advancing.

Việt Nam has built relatively complete oil and gas technology, from exploring, exploiting and processing oil and gas to other services, said Quỳnh.

These technologies are from advanced countries and is evaluated as relatively modern.

Enterprises have also started applying digital transformation in the distribution unit system.

The information and technology in the coal sector has been limit ed and lack simultaneity, she said.

The coal sector has been active in applying technology innovation. However, due to its characteristics such as using unskilled labour, low technology levels and the application of smart technology and digital transformation in production still face difficulties.

In the electric industry, digital transformation in hydropower plants is still limit ed.

Thermal power plants have applied more new technology. Their operation parameters are stored by software and are being integrated in the digital platform.

Lê Xuân Huyên, deputy general director of PetroVietnam, said the market has been changed adversely for the oil and gas sector both at home and abroad.

However, the PetroVietnam was determined to apply technology from 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic spread.