VIETNAM has plans to spend roughly US$160 million purchasing 3.5 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity this year from China, Vietnam News reported yesterday.

Electricity Vietnam, the country's biggest electricity producer and sole distributor, will have to pay 4.5 US cents for each imported kWh of electricity, and resell it to local consumers for 5.6-11 US cents, said EVN Deputy General Director Nguyen Manh Hung.