Securing the energy lifeline of the data economy

At a working session on 1 November on developing the legal and policy framework for the Vietnam data exchange platform, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that data is a strategic resource, the new means of production after land, labor, capital, and technology. “Without data infrastructure, there can be no artificial intelligence”, he said.

As the global digital economy accelerates, Vietnam possesses a vast “goldmine of data” that remains fragmented and underutilized. The launch of the Vietnam Data Exchange Platform in November 2025 is therefore not only a technical milestone but also a strategic move to unlock this valuable national resource.

According to the Prime Minister, the platform is not a simple data “warehouse” or “market” but a value-creating ecosystem that will drive research, innovation, national governance, and socio-economic development, laying the foundation for a modern, professional data marketplace of regional scale.

To realize this vision, the foremost condition is a reliable energy infrastructure, the backbone of all data operations, from storage to processing and analytics. National data centers, regarded as the “heart” of the digital economy, are massive electricity consumers that require a stable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible power supply.

Under the Prime Minister’s directive, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is responsible for ensuring a stable power supply, giving priority to green and clean energy sources for the operation of the national data center.

Green energy - the foundation of national data security

In response, the ministry has identified a key task: to coordinate power planning and guarantee an uninterrupted electricity supply for data centers, while accelerating the transition toward renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and clean LNG.

Experts note that national-scale data centers require a 24/7 electricity supply that meets strict standards for energy security and environmental sustainability. Each large data center can consume as much electricity as several thousand households. Any disruption in power could halt data storage, analysis, and transactions, causing significant economic losses.

Prioritizing green and clean energy not only reduces emissions but also enhances system resilience through solutions such as rooftop solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and flexible grid connections that allow renewable sources to integrate efficiently into the national power system.

The MoIT is currently advancing the implementation of Power Development Plan VIII, which allocates a significant share for renewable energy serving digital infrastructure. It is also reviewing incentive mechanisms for energy enterprises to provide green electricity to data centers and introducing renewable energy certificates (RECs) to verify the use of clean power by businesses.

According to Doan Ngoc Duong, Deputy Director of the Electricity Authority of Vietnam under the MoIT, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable and new energy sources is an irreversible global trend. Vietnam is making strong efforts toward a green energy transition to realize its net-zero commitment by 2050.

In Vietnam, the data market was valued at approximately USD 1.57 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach around USD 3.53 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 14.2%. The country’s digital economy is expected to reach USD 45 billion by 2025 and could expand to between USD 90 billion and 200 billion by 2030.

Such rapid growth will sharply increase energy demand for data infrastructure, particularly as the Vietnam Data Exchange Platform becomes fully operational, requiring smart, efficient, and transparent energy management models.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged ministries and agencies to adhere to the 28-word principle: “Data on the platform, the state facilitates, enterprises take the lead, public and private sectors cooperate, the market drives, the nation prospers, the people thrive.”

Within that vision, green energy serves as the lifeblood of the national data flow, a decisive foundation for building a secure and sustainable digital economy.

When operated on clean energy, data centers not only ease environmental pressure but also enhance Vietnam’s image as a green, forward-looking nation in the eyes of global investors. This serves as a crucial foundation for the country to advance its dual goal of becoming both a digital nation and a green economy amid the global energy transition.