Expanding the electricity industry space

Engineers at An Lac 110 kV Transformer Station (Hai Phong) check and maintain equipment. (Photo: TRAN KHANH)

This is the premise for localities, economic groups, and investors to have a basis for implementation, opening up new development space for Vietnam's energy industry in a sustainable, equitable direction, in line with the trend of green economy, circular economy, and low-carbon economy.

The plan to implement the Power Plan VIII focuses on building a roadmap to effectively implement projects to meet the set goals as well as the electricity demand for socio-economic development in each period, ensuring that electricity is one step ahead; at the same time, implementing a strong energy transition from fossil fuels to new energy sources and renewable energy to reduce environmental pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to Vietnam's goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Detail the content

According to experts, the VIII Power Plan is a difficult content, attracting the attention of many levels, sectors, organizations, and domestic and foreign units. Therefore, the Implementation Plan also has many opinions during the process of building and completing it to build a comprehensive, feasible plan, with the highest goal of ensuring electricity supply for socio-economic development. Deputy Director of the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) Bui Quoc Hung shared that although the Ministry has made great efforts to complete this plan on schedule, there are still delays due to many difficulties and problems.

On April 1, the Prime Minister officially approved the Plan for implementing the VIII Power Plan. The Plan details the contents of the VIII Power Plan, specifically defining the progress of putting into operation important and priority power source projects of the power sector in the period up to 2025 and the period 2026-2030, as a basis for implementing and operating power source development, including: Domestic gas-fired power projects, liquefied natural gas (LNG), medium and large hydropower, pumped storage hydropower, etc.

In addition, the implementation plan has clearly identified two inter-regional renewable energy industrial and service centers, including: Center 1 in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Thai Binh and neighboring areas (scale of about 2,000 MW) and Center 2 in Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City and future expansion; identified a list of renewable energy power source projects suitable for the calculated capacity scale, allocated to localities.

Regarding offshore wind power, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is studying and handling difficulties and obstacles and reporting to competent authorities for consideration and determination of specific projects in the coming time. At the same time, the Ministry has also reported to the Government Standing Committee and the Prime Minister on difficulties and obstacles when reviewing and assessing the legality, ensuring that violations are not allowed to be legalized for solar power projects that have been approved for planning, approved for investment policies and assigned to investors.

Get to work

Dr. Ngo Tuan Kiet, Director of the Institute of Energy Science, commented: Power Plan VIII is an open plan, so it must have an accompanying implementation plan. If the plan is not approved, the projects will not be implemented in detail. The approved plan will help speed up the progress of investment projects in the period from now to 2030, promptly meeting the needs of socio-economic development. It can be said that this is the guiding principle for all growth and development activities of the power grid system in the coming time.

General Director of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) Nguyen Anh Tuan said that immediately after the Power Plan VIII was approved, the Group proactively developed plans and directed units to implement assigned tasks. Specifically, EVN directed to accelerate the progress of key power source projects such as Ialy Hydropower Expansion, Hoa Binh Hydropower Expansion or Quang Trach I Thermal Power Plant; researched, reviewed, supplemented and completed the dossiers of other hydropower plant expansion projects (Tuyen Quang Expansion, Son La Expansion, Lai Chau Expansion, etc.) to implement the next steps.

Regarding the power grid project, EVN has also proactively assigned units to promptly implement investment procedures for key power grid projects to meet the needs of increasing transmission capacity, releasing power sources, importing electricity and ensuring. Currently, EVN is focusing resources on implementing the construction of the 500 kV line circuit 3 from Quang Trach to Pho Noi with the goal of completing it by the end of June as directed by the Prime Minister. When the Plan is approved, EVN will continue to review and complete the Group's implementation plan to direct effective implementation, meeting the set goals.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized: Power Plan VIII plays a very important role in the development of the electricity industry in particular and the energy industry in general, especially in the context of the energy transition taking place strongly on a global scale.

Ministries, sectors and localities also need to urgently coordinate to research and propose competent authorities to issue regulations on the authority to decide on investment policies for gas-fired power projects, offshore wind power projects, hydrogen/ammonia production projects using offshore wind power;... research and propose to develop, amend and supplement relevant legal documents, mechanisms and policies, especially financial mechanisms, electricity price mechanisms and incentive mechanisms to support implementation.

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien also requested that both state and private economic groups need to conduct research based on planning and plans to propose suitable investment projects, including both source and transmission projects, especially new energy projects such as offshore wind power, gas power, etc. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will collect and submit these proposals to the Government for decision.

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