Amid concerns over the potential affect on nationwide digital infrastructure, the Ministry of Science and Technology has despatched a second official doc to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, warning that making use of business electricity tariffs to data centers may enhance working prices by 20 to 25 p.c.
Recently, the ministry reiterated its place relating to the appliance of electricity pricing insurance policies to data centers.
From a sectoral administration perspective, it emphasised that the appliance of electricity pricing beneath Circular 60 ought to be reviewed to make sure consistency with the Telecommunications Law and the Law on Digital Technology Industry.
Under Circular 60, electricity costs are categorized based mostly on utilization functions. Electricity used for telecommunications infrastructure – similar to switching centers, transmission networks, and broadcasting stations – is topic to manufacturing pricing, whereas electricity used for telecom service enterprise operations is topic to business pricing.
According to the Telecommunications Law (2023), data centers are categorized as a kind of telecommunications infrastructure, whereas data middle providers are thought of telecommunications providers.
Therefore, electricity pricing for data centers ought to observe the identical precept utilized to different telecommunications providers and shouldn’t depend upon whether or not the providers are used internally or supplied to exterior clients.
In observe, manufacturing actions are elementary to producing services for the market. Supplying providers externally doesn’t change the character of electricity utilization inside technical programs.
Specifically, electricity used for technical programs inside data centers – together with servers, storage, data processing, cooling, and infrastructure operations – straight permits service provision and ought to be categorized beneath manufacturing pricing. Meanwhile, electricity utilized in enterprise service areas similar to workplaces and transaction factors ought to fall beneath business pricing.
In addition, beneath the Law on Digital Technology Industry (2025), data centers are a part of digital know-how trade infrastructure.
The ministry affirmed that making use of manufacturing electricity pricing to data centers aligns with the precept of making use of such pricing to industrial sectors beneath Circular 60.
As a important part of digital infrastructure, any disruption or interruption in electricity provide to data centers may severely have an effect on info programs and a variety of socio-economic actions within the digital atmosphere.
Electricity pricing can be a key issue for international traders when deciding whether or not to determine data centers in Vietnam.
Applying business electricity tariffs would considerably enhance working prices, probably affecting funding effectivity and elevating the danger of relocating data storage and processing actions خارج Vietnam. This may undermine the efficient implementation of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, which calls for insurance policies to help home enterprises in creating data centers and cloud computing, whereas attracting international funding in these sectors.
Based on these concerns, the Ministry of Science and Technology urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade to subject clear steerage on the appliance of Circular 60 to data centers to make sure consistency and promptly deal with difficulties confronted by companies.
In the absence of unified steerage, the ministry proposed quickly sustaining manufacturing electricity pricing and guaranteeing steady energy provide for data centers.
Earlier, main firms together with Viettel, VNPT, FPT Telecom, CMC, and VNG Data Center had submitted proposals to the Ministry of Industry and Trade relating to adjustments in electricity pricing beneath Circular 60.
Under the present interpretation, electricity authorities classify data middle operations as “centralized data processing, storage, and management services,” thereby making use of business electricity tariffs as a substitute of manufacturing tariffs – which had beforehand been persistently utilized to all data centers in Vietnam.
On February 13, 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology despatched an preliminary doc to the Ministry of Industry and Trade relating to enterprise suggestions on electricity pricing for data centers.
On March 19, 2026, the Electricity Authority and the Telecommunications Authority held a joint assembly with representatives from Vietnam Electricity, energy companies, data middle enterprises, and the Vietnam Internet Association.
At the assembly, companies and trade teams expressed concerns that coverage adjustments would considerably enhance prices, affecting operations and the funding atmosphere.
Electricity prices at the moment account for round 40 to 50 p.c of complete working bills for data centers. Switching from manufacturing to business electricity pricing has already elevated electricity prices by greater than 50 p.c in comparison with earlier ranges, probably elevating complete working prices by roughly 20 to 25 p.c.
Thai Khang