Determined to "remove obstacles" for renewable energy projects

On the afternoon of December 12, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a national online conference to announce and implement the Government's Resolution on policies and directions to remove obstacles and difficulties for renewable energy projects.

Also attending the conference at the bridge locations were Politburo member, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh; Party Central Committee members: Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien; leaders of ministries, branches, some localities, Vietnam Electricity Group and enterprises investing in 154 renewable energy projects.

Overview of the conference at the Government bridge (Photo: VNA)

The conference was connected online to 63 provinces and cities (Screenshot).

Comrades: Nguyen Doan Anh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee; Mai Xuan Liem, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee attended the conference at the Government bridge.

Comrade Nguyen Doan Anh, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee and delegates attended the conference at the Government bridge (Photo: VNA).

At Thanh Hoa bridge, there were representatives of provincial departments, branches and sectors attending the conference.

Previously, at the regular Government meeting in November, on December 7, 2024, the Government voted to pass a Resolution on policies and directions to remove obstacles and difficulties for renewable energy projects.

By the end of 2023, the total capacity of renewable energy sources in the country will be 21,664 MW; accounting for about 27%; the electricity output of wind power, ground-mounted solar power, and rooftop solar power will be about 27,317 million kWh, accounting for 12.75% of the power system. The development of renewable energy has contributed to implementing the orientation in the VIII power plan, Vietnam's commitment at the COP26 Conference to achieve "0" net emissions by 2050 and ensuring energy security.

However, the process of developing renewable energy has also encountered some violations and problems such as the wrong subjects enjoying the incentive price mechanism in Resolution 115 of the Government; overlapping mineral planning, irrigation planning, national defense land planning, land procedures and records...

The Resolution has proposed 6 groups of solutions and viewpoints, principles, and authorities to remove difficulties and obstacles for renewable energy projects. In particular, it clearly allows for additional planning for implementation in cases where the project does not violate regulations related to national security and defense, planning of key national projects and works.

For projects with violations of procedures and processes related to land and construction, they are allowed to be completed according to the provisions of law. For projects that violate planning on minerals, irrigation, national defense, etc., an assessment of the socio-economic efficiency between planning implementation and project implementation is conducted to adjust the overlapping planning accordingly or integrate and synchronously implement both renewable energy projects and related planning.

For rooftop solar power projects built on agricultural, forestry and industrial land with large capacity under the model of investing in aquaculture farms where the land is not suitable for farming, investors are required to complete procedures for construction, farm investment, and fulfill financial obligations according to regulations. Recover the amount of electricity sold according to the incentive price mechanism (FIT price) for projects that do not fully meet the conditions for enjoyment according to regulations.

Discussing at the conference, representatives of leaders of ministries, branches, localities, and investors of renewable energy projects requested competent authorities to promptly remove difficulties, guide procedures to correct violations, and supplement planning for projects. At the same time, they requested competent authorities to support enterprises in completing procedural steps to soon deploy projects and bring clean power to the grid.

In mid-2023, 23 investors in transitional wind and solar power projects (projects that have completed construction but have not yet been put into commercial operation) sent a document to the Prime Minister, proposing a number of policies and proposing solutions to overcome shortcomings in the negotiation mechanism for transitional renewable power generation prices. Investors said that the situation is very difficult when investment capital is spent, the project has been completed but electricity cannot be sold. Therefore, representatives of investors proposed that the Prime Minister direct the early issuance of guiding regulations according to authority for the parties to have a legal basis for implementation.

Speaking at the online conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated: The conference was held in the face of the current situation where many renewable energy projects with social investment capital of up to billions of USD are still "shelved". There are many reasons leading to this situation; including many violations by groups and individuals. Along with that, implementing the policy of developing renewable energy is a new solution, without precedent, lacking experience, the legal system is not complete, so the implementation process still has a number of violations that have been concluded by the Government Inspectorate, need to be separated, and specific responsibilities for related individuals need to be handled.

The Prime Minister affirmed: "We do not legalize those who do wrong, but we must have solutions for completed investment projects that need to be exploited so as not to waste social resources. This is the Government's effort in recent times, listening to the opinions of businesses, ministries, branches, and localities and determined to solve and remove them."

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA).

Along with that, the delay in putting projects into operation will cause a huge waste of social resources, not taking advantage of available power sources to compensate, ensure power supply, meet growth needs; consequences can cause the risk of collapse, loss of payment ability, inability to repay bank loans, leading to bankruptcy of enterprises, affecting business confidence and the investment and business environment.

Therefore, the Government is making efforts to create a corridor to remove obstacles, inadequacies and overlaps in legal documents; at the same time, it continues to direct ministries, branches and localities to review and evaluate projects and works with institutional problems to remove them.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, branches and localities to continue to coordinate in reviewing and evaluating projects and works with institutional problems to resolve them. The Government's viewpoint is to harmonize the interests between the State - enterprises and the people. Along with that, the process of resolving difficulties and problems must ensure publicity and transparency, not causing difficulties, inconveniences and harassment; strictly prohibiting "lobbying"; the "asking for and giving" mechanism leading to the emergence of new violations.

Minh Hang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/quyet-tam-go-vuong-cho-cac-du-an-dien-nang-luong-tai-tao-233266.htm