Vietnam’s coal imports increased in October even as coal-fired generation weakened because of heavy rainfall and strong hydropower output.

The country imported 4.83 million tons of seaborne coal in October, up 11.3 percent from a year earlier and higher than 3.96 million tons in September, Vietnamese customs data show. Total imports for January–October reached 55.6 million tons, up 2 percent from the same period in 2024.

Indonesian imports fall but remain significant

Shipments from Indonesia — Vietnam’s second-largest supplier — slipped to 1.9 million tons in October, down 21 percent from a year earlier. Indonesian deliveries totaled 21.6 million tons in January–October, slightly below 22.2 million tons a year earlier. Despite the year-on-year decline, Indonesian coal still accounted for 40 percent of Vietnam’s total imports in October.

Australian coal dominated the market with 2.05 million tons in October, representing 42 percent of total imports and up 72 percent from a year earlier. Australia supplied nearly 19 million tons in the first ten months of the year, up from about 15 million tons in the same period of 2024.

Imports from Russia surged to 572,000 tons in October — more than triple last year’s levels — giving Russia a nearly 12 percent share. Russian shipments from January–October rose to 5.6 million tons from 4.78 million tons a year earlier.

Power demand grows but coal-fired generation lags

Vietnam appears to be rebuilding coal stocks to ensure baseload capacity while state utility EVN works to stabilize hydropower reservoirs after flooding and heavy rain.

Power demand reached 26.2 TWh in October, up from 25.5 TWh a year earlier. But coal-fired output fell to 9.38 TWh, down from 10.7 TWh last year, according to Ember. Hydropower generation remained strong at 13.3 TWh, supported by persistent rain and typhoons.