Important milestones of the Industry and Trade sector in 2024

The year 2024 marks a series of new policies in the energy sector, such as amending the Electricity Law, restarting the nuclear power program, and removing difficulties for renewable energy projects. Along with that, the separation of the National Load Dispatch Center (A0) from Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and the successful transformation of the operating model into the National Electricity System and Market Operation Company Limited (NSMO) is an important step forward, ensuring transparency and fairness in electricity market operations. These efforts help the energy sector overcome bottlenecks, unlock resources, and create momentum for sustainable development.

Dr. Ta Dinh Thi - Vice Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment. Photo: Nghia Duc

Removing bottlenecks in power development

According to Dr. Ta Dinh Thi, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment (KHCN&MT): The Industry and Trade sector is assigned a very important responsibility by the Party, State and Government, performing the function of state management of industry and trade, including particularly important sectors and fields, playing a key role and directly affecting socio-economic development, national defense, security and people's lives. Here, we must mention the electricity sector, including renewable energy and new energy, which are receiving great attention from voters and people.

It can be said that in 2024, closely following the Party's strategic orientation, the requirements of the National Assembly, the direct and regular leadership and direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, the Industry and Trade sector has made efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges and achieved many very encouraging results, especially in the work of building institutions to create development, remove bottlenecks and bottlenecks in the electricity sector.

On December 13, 2023, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 937/NQ-UBTVQH15 on thematic supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on energy development in the period of 2016 - 2021. To ensure energy security, the Resolution pointed out the results, limitations, shortcomings, causes, responsibilities, tasks, and solutions that need to be completed before the end of 2025, and medium- and long-term tasks and solutions until 2030, with a vision to 2050. Implementing the requirements of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, to date, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has completed the most important and outstanding tasks:

Specifically, the Electricity Law 2024 was submitted to the National Assembly for approval in a session with a high approval rate (91.65%). This is an important law, having a great impact on the economy, ensuring the country's growth and development goals as well as national energy security in the short and long term, including many new, difficult, complicated and sensitive contents.

The revised Electricity Law has removed bottlenecks in renewable energy development. Photo: VN

However, with the close direction of the National Assembly Leaders, the National Assembly Standing Committee, especially the efforts and determination of the Government, directly the drafting agency, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the reviewing agency, the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, with the high consensus of the National Assembly deputies, on the afternoon of November 30, with 439/463 deputies participating in the vote in favor (accounting for 91.65% of the National Assembly deputies), the National Assembly passed the Electricity Law 2024.

Dr. Ta Dinh Thi said that the law, once passed, will create a legal basis to immediately resolve difficulties, obstacles, bottlenecks, and urgent issues, meeting the practical requirements of the electricity industry's development, especially ensuring security of electricity supply. In particular, it is necessary to mention solving basic issues related to planning, investment, electricity price mechanisms, and electricity markets with new policies, at the same time, having specific preferential policies for each type of electricity project such as gas-fired electricity projects, renewable energy projects, new energy projects, including offshore wind power projects, etc.

Paving the way for miracles

Along with perfecting the institutional policies for electricity development, according to Dr. Ta Dinh Thi, in 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade advised the Government to submit to the National Assembly for approval the policy of restarting the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project; continue to institutionalize and concretize the Party's strategic orientation in Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW and Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on energy development, especially renewable energy. In particular, the Ministry submitted to the Government for promulgation Decree No. 80/2024/ND-CP dated July 3, 2024, stipulating the mechanism for direct electricity purchase and sale between renewable energy power generation units and large electricity users (DPPA mechanism), Decree No. 135/2024/ND-CP dated October 22, 2024, stipulating the mechanism and policies to encourage the development of self-produced and self-consumed rooftop solar power.

The National Power System Control Center converts its operating model to NSMO. Photo: TH

“The Ministry has also received the National Power System Dispatch Center (A0) from Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), marking an important milestone in the development of Vietnam's energy sector to ensure independence and objectivity in dispatching and operating the power system and the electricity market,” Dr. Ta Dinh Thi assessed.

Finally, another miracle is The 500 kV line 3, Quang Trach - Pho Noi, with a total length of nearly 520 km, including two double circuits, connected by 1,177 pole foundation locations, passing through 211 communes/wards of 43 districts/towns in 9 provinces from the North Central region and beyond, was completed in a record short time, just over 7 months from the groundbreaking date (January 18, 2024) and officially inaugurated on August 29, 2024. Notably, the line was constructed in difficult, unfavorable weather conditions, complex and rugged terrain."

Source: https://congthuong.vn/dien-luc-dau-an-quan-trong-cua-nganh-cong-thuong-nam-2024-369408.html