Vietnam plans to annually buy 300-400 MW of electricity from China in the next few years since 2006, aiming at addressing its anticipated electricity shortages, according to Vietnam News Agency on Monday.

In April 2004, the country bought electricity from China for the first time. It has reached deals to buy almost 100 MW of electricity from China via the 110-kv transmission line in its northern provinces of Lao Cai and Quang Ninh.

In addition to electricity import, Vietnam will intensify exploitation of coal, oil, gas and rivers to build more thermal and hydropower plants. Its combined capacity of hydroelectric sources will rise to 8,800 MW by 2010 and 15,000 MW by 2020, turning out total electricity output of some 35 billion kwh and 60 billion kwh, respectively.

The country will also accelerate the construction of power plants, namely the Se San 3 and Pleikrong hydro-power plants in the Central Highlands and the Ca Mau gas-fuelled electricity plant in the southernmost Ca Mau province.

Vietnam, which currently sells electricity to Laos and Cambodia and is expected to become an energy importer in 2013, is estimated to consume 93-100 billion kwh in 2010, 200-230 billion kwh in 2020 and 625-766 billion kwh in 2050.

The country's total power capacity is now estimated at 8,750 MW,of which 53 percent is hydroelectricity, 22 percent thermoelectricity, and 25 percent diesel oil and gas.