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To achieve sustainable development, the railway industry needs to build a domestic industrial ecosystem, promote the domestic supply chain, and enhance international cooperation in training, technology transfer, and long-term investment.

The first International Exhibition & Conference on Modern Railway Technology and Infrastructure Construction Supply Chain (VRT & CONS 2025) officially opened on November 12 at the Vietnam Exposition Center in Hanoi.

Nearly 200 domestic and international businesses and organizations are participating in the event, which runs until November 15, with over 120 booths displaying comprehensive technologies, products, and solutions for the railway and transportation infrastructure sectors.

This is the first specialized international exhibition and conference on railway and infrastructure held in Vietnam, serving as a platform for strategic dialogue and long-term investment connections for Vietnam's railway industry ecosystem.

Speaking at the opening, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Danh Huy stated that the event is not only a trade exhibition but also a "strategic forum" for Vietnam's railway industry, where management agencies, businesses, and financial organizations can exchange ideas, offer solutions, and seek feasible investment cooperation models.

"Vietnam is not looking for the most expensive technology, but for the most suitable technology – advanced, safe, efficient, and capable of technology transfer," the Deputy Minister said.

According to Mr. Huy, to achieve sustainable development, the railway industry needs to build a domestic industrial ecosystem, promote the domestic supply chain, and enhance international cooperation in training, technology transfer, and long-term investment.

The Deputy Minister believes that in the overall infrastructure landscape of Vietnam, railways are the "backbone" of the national transportation system, playing a crucial role in restructuring the economy, reducing logistics costs, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting regional connectivity.

The Vietnamese government has proposed increasing the power offtake guarantee for LNG-to-power projects to at least 75% of annual output for up to 15 years.

The proposal was included in a new government report submitted to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee regarding issuance of a resolution on removing obstables for 2026-2030 national renewable energy development.

Accordingly, state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) would be required to commit to purchasing no less than 75% of a project’s average annual power generation, up from the current 65% threshold under Decree 100.

Decree 100/2025/ND-CP amends and supplements a number of articles of Decree 56/2025/ND-CP, related to the mechanism for developing gas-fired thermal power projects.

The guaranteed purchase period would last through the loan repayment phase, capped at 15 years from the project’s commercial operation date - five years more compared to Decree 100.

The move aims to strengthen financial certainty for investors in LNG-to-power projects, which are seen as crucial base-load sources to stabilize electricity supply and support Vietnam’s renewable energy transition.

Vietnam’s revised Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) targets up to 37,500 MW of new gas-fired capacity by 2030, of which about 22,500 MW will use imported LNG - an increase of roughly 7,000 MW from earlier plans.

Developers have repeatedly urged the government to raise the guaranteed offtake ratio and extend contract durations to 20-25 years to ensure stable cash flows and debt repayment.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) backed the need for a special mechanism, noting that long-term offtake commitments are key to securing project financing.

However, higher guaranteed purchases could raise risks of increasing retail electricity prices, as the cost of LNG-based generation remains higher than that of domestic coal or hydropower due to imported fuel prices.

Earlier, VinEnergo - an energy company controlled by Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong - had given comments on the MoIT proposal on an offtake of no less than 75% of the average annual electricity output for LNG-to-power projects.

While agreeing with the 75% minimum offtake rate, the firm proposed extending the term to up to 25 years for projects entering commercial operation between January 1, 2030 and December 31, 2031.

For projects that begin operations earlier, from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2029, VinEnergo suggested a minimum offtake rate of no less than 90%, also applied over a debt repayment period of up to 25 years.

The Hanoi-based VinEnergo was established in March 2025. Its core business is in electricity generation and electrical equipment manufacturing. Billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong - Vietnam's richest man by stock market assets - holds 71% of the shares; his eldest son, Pham Nhat Quan Anh, 5%; and his second son, Pham Nhat Minh Hoang, 5%. The remaining 19% is owned by Vingroup.

The project implementation period is from 2025 to 2029, with a possibility of extension to 2030, according to the plan.

The Ministry of Construction has approved an implementation plan for the Southern Region Waterway and Logistics Corridor Development Project, as a public investment initiative.

The project aims to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and safety of two key waterway corridors in the Southern region, contributing to the development of a sustainable logistics system and reducing transportation costs.

The total investment for the project is over $163 million; of which, over $106 million comes from a World Bank (WB) loan, and over $55 million is domestic counterpart capital.

The project is divided into three components. Two components focus on upgrading two main corridor routes: the East-West corridor, with a total length of approximately 197 km, and the North-South corridor, connecting ports from the southern province of Dong Nai to the Cai Mep - Thi Vai deep-water port in the former province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau (now part of Ho Chi Minh City), with a length of about 82 km.

Specifically, the East-West corridor connects Can Tho Port in the Mekong Delta city of the same name, and Ho Chi Minh City Port, with investment in upgrading the fairway to Class II standards. After upgrading, the transportation distance will be reduced by approximately 92 km compared to the existing route, allowing vessels with a tonnage of over 300 tons to navigate.

For the North-South corridor project, the investment scope includes dredging and installing a signaling system, which will allow vessels with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of up to 5,000 DWT and container ships of 200 TEUs (equivalent to 200 trucks) to operate smoothly year-round.

The project will be implemented in the provinces of Tien Giang (now Dong Thap), Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long (now Vinh Long), Long An (now Tay Ninh), and Dong Nai.The project implementation period is from 2025 to 2029, with a possibility of extension to 2030 according to the plan.