Port and logistics businesses call for help due to rotating power outages

Business associations related to Vietnam's seaport and logistics activities (Vietnam Logistics Services Business Association, Vietnam Maritime Agents, Brokers and Services Association, Vietnam Shipowners Association) sent official dispatches to Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), Northern Power Corporation and Hai Phong Power Company Limited.

Associations expressed concern over recent power outages due to incidents and frequent rotating power outages in the locality, which have greatly affected the operations of the port industry and caused great damage to import-export businesses using port services.

Port and logistics businesses call for help due to rotating power outages - 1 — Port and logistics businesses are suffering a lot of damage due to power outages caused by incidents and rotating power cuts. (Illustration photo: TTX)

The Associations recommend that, in the short term, the Hai Phong City and National power grid systems need to have backup power sources, consider redistributing power sources to each region and industry appropriately, in which priority should be given to ensuring that power supply to ports is always ready and continuous 24/7.

In case of power outage due to incidents or force majeure events, within 24 hours, the electricity sector must notify the ports (electricity buyers) of the cause and the expected time of power restoration as prescribed in Article 27 of the Electricity Law; at the same time, send a written explanation to the ports within 8 hours after the incident is resolved because this is an important basis for the port to arrange notification, explanation, and coordination with customers and shipping lines.

"In cases where power outages are required but not for urgent reasons, rotating power outages, or power outages for grid maintenance, the Electricity industry is requested to have a specific plan and send it to the ports (power buyers) at least 5 days before the time of stopping or reducing power supply by announcing it for 3 consecutive days on mass media or sending a document (priority) to the seaports," representatives of Business Associations suggested.

Enterprises also recommended that the electricity industry should have solutions to support and compensate for losses to the port such as: supporting investment costs, costs for maintaining transformer stations, generators, vehicle maintenance, etc., having solutions to support costs for the port in case ships have to wait at the port due to power outages, having policies to subsidize electricity prices for the port to compensate for losses caused by power outages, etc.

In the long term, the State needs to have incentive and preferential policies for port and logistics enterprises that pioneer in applying technology, investing in and using renewable energy and clean energy.

According to business associations, cold chain operations (at ports, transportation, warehouses, etc.) play an important role in the economy, but the investment and maintenance costs for production activities (electricity costs) are very high. In order to diversify and improve the capacity of the supply chain, the associations propose that the Electricity industry soon support businesses to convert the electricity price list from the business price list to the production price list; build an attractive electricity price management mechanism to attract and encourage diverse economic sectors to participate in investing in renewable energy to stabilize supply, reduce electricity selling prices, increase economic and social value, reduce the investment burden on the State budget and ensure national energy security.

Cong Hieu

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