Many power source projects remain unimplemented

According to Power Development Plan VIII and revised Power Development Plan VIII, Dong Nai currently has five types of power source projects with a total capacity of several thousand megawatts. However, most of these projects have yet to be implemented, raising concerns about future energy supply for socio-economic development and investment attraction.

A thermal power project under Power Development Plan VIII is scheduled to begin operation in Dai Phuoc commune, Dong Nai province.

Accelerating the implementation of power source projects is a pressing requirement to ensure energy security and lay the foundation for the province’s sustainable growth and development.

Delays caused by planning and land clearance

Dong Nai is one of the country’s major electricity consumers. At the same time, the province has significant advantages for developing both power generation and transmission projects.

Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said that by 2030, the province is expected to have five types of power sources: more than 1.6 GW of additional thermal power, nearly 370 MW of small and medium hydropower, over 3.7 GW of rooftop, ground-mounted, and floating solar power, about 58 MW of waste-to-energy, and almost 130 MW of biomass power.

After the Government approved Power Development Plan VIII and the revised Power Development Plan VIII, the Provincial People’s Committee issued plans. They assigned specific tasks to departments, sectors, and localities to carry out land, planning, and investment procedures. However, implementation has remained slow. Currently, only the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power plants are nearing completion. The Tri An Hydropower Expansion Project, with a capacity of 200 MW, was launched at the end of August 2025; however, other projects have yet to commence.

According to the DoIT, one major reason for delays is that during the planning stage, the exact locations of substations and transmission line routes were not clearly defined, leading to overlaps with local land-use and construction plans. As a result, investors must hire consultants to survey and determine the correct alignments and substation sites for approval by the Provincial People’s Committee before the plans can be updated and integrated into land-use and construction planning. This lengthy process has significantly slowed project implementation.

Dong Nai currently has two power source projects classified as national key energy projects under Power Development Plan VIII and the revised Power Development Plan VIII. These are the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 gas power plants, with a total capacity of over 1.6 GW, expected to begin commercial operations in November and December 2025. Additionally, there is the Tri An Hydropower expansion project, with a capacity of 200 MW, scheduled to be connected to the national grid in 2027.

Another reason for the slow progress is that many renewable energy projects, particularly solar power, were only added to the revised Power Development Plan VIII (approved in April 2025) and have not yet been included in Dong Nai’s provincial master plan (approved in July 2024). To proceed, these projects must first be integrated into the provincial and sectoral plans, including those for urban and rural development and construction. At present, the Provincial People’s Committee has instructed the DoIT, Departments of Finance, Department of Agriculture and Environment (DoAE) to review and update the list of energy projects for inclusion in the adjusted provincial master plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, providing a legal basis for implementation.

A further obstacle arises from the administrative restructuring that took effect on July 1, 2025, when several specialized functions, including land compensation and clearance, were assigned to commune-level authorities. Many communes and wards, after their mergers, are still in the process of updating their land-use and construction plans, including energy projects, which has slowed down implementation.

Resolving obstacles to accelerate project progress

Pham Thanh Hoai, Director of Power Project Management Board No. 3 and investor in the Tri An Hydropower Expansion Project, stated that this is a national key energy project of significant importance for energy security in southern Vietnam and for the province’s socio-economic development.

The project, launched in August 2025, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. However, it is currently facing land clearance issues at the Hieu Liem bridge area and the main plant site. If these issues are not resolved soon, they may impact the project’s completion schedule and operational timeline.

To resolve land-related obstacles for the project, on October 8, 2025, Ho Van Ha, member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, held a working session with authorities of Tri An commune and the project investor. During the meeting, provincial leaders requested the commune to develop a detailed plan and timeline for compensation, support, and resettlement, and to establish a task force to support project implementation. Earlier, in September 2025, the Provincial People’s Committee also directed the Provincial Land Fund Development Center and the Department of Agriculture and Environment to assign personnel to assist the commune in carrying out related tasks.

Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Kim Long emphasized that electricity infrastructure must precede other infrastructure systems to drive socio-economic development and increase budget revenues. Departments, sectors, and localities should strengthen coordination and provide maximum support to investors in implementing energy projects, particularly national key projects.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Kim Long assigned the Department of Industry and Trade to lead a comprehensive review of all power projects, update substation and transmission line data in the adjusted provincial master plan, and oversee the implementation of solar, waste-to-energy, and biomass power projects in line with approved capacities. Project investors are required to collaborate closely with local authorities on compensation and land clearance to ensure the timely execution and completion of the project. This effort not only helps safeguard energy security and lay the groundwork for the province’s sustainable growth, but also improves the investment efficiency of these projects.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho