Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long: No delays allowed in Southeastern power projects

On the morning of August 22, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long had a working session with the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh on the implementation of power generation and grid projects under the adjusted Power Development Plan VIII.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long speaks at the working session. Photo: Hoang Loc

At the working session, Deputy Director Pham Van Cuong of Dong Nai Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT) said the province is currently implementing two power generation projects (including the expanded Tri An Hydropower Plant and Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants) along with 12 power grid projects under the adjusted Power Development Plan VIII. These include transmission grid projects aimed at relieving capacity for Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants, which are preparing for commercial operation.

Over the past time, the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee has repeatedly conducted inspections and issued directives to accelerate compensation and site clearance to hand over land to investors. However, some obstacles remain.

Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of DoIT, reports on power generation and grid projects in Dong Nai. Photo: Hoang Loc

Specifically, the expanded Tri An Hydropower Plant project covers nearly 95 hectares, with about 73% of the site cleared and resettlement arranged for 22 out of 23 households; the remaining work is ongoing. For the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants, 100% of the land has been handed over, construction progress has reached 99.9%, and the project is in trial operation.

Among the 12 transmission projects, five transmission lines are designed to relieve capacity for Nhon Trach 3 and 4. So far, two projects have completed land handover, while three others are still in the process of compensating and clearing tower sites. Due to the transition of responsibilities from district to commune level, the initial administrative capacity was not fully prepared, causing delays in compensation approval. The Provincial People’s Committee was committed to resolving land clearance issues in September and October to align with the progress of commercial electricity generation of the plants.

The Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee made two recommendations. First, the Ministry of Industry and Trade should consider a mechanism allowing the power sector to agree in advance on the locations of substations, transmission line routes and tower positions within the five-year investment plan, so that these can be promptly incorporated into the province’s land-use and construction planning. Due to the lack of synchronization between the 220kV substation and the outgoing transmission line, the province proposed that Vietnam Electricity (EVN) allow the hiring of consultants to simultaneously prepare documentation on the agreed location of the 220kV substation and the 110kV outgoing line. This would serve as a basis for updating relevant planning schemes, thereby accelerating project implementation.

Regarding the responsibility of local authorities, the Provincial People’s Committee will continue focusing on addressing obstacles in updating land use and construction planning, granting investment approval for power projects, and accelerating site clearance progress.

Tay Ninh province’s representative presents recommendations at the meeting. Photo: Hoang Loc

Speaking at the session, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Tay Ninh are all experiencing strong urban, industrial, commercial, and service growth, leading to significant current and future energy demand. In the adjusted Power Development Plan VIII, these localities host numerous power generation and grid projects, while also being allocated significant targets for renewable energy.

According to the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, effective implementation of the projects is vital to ensure sufficient energy for socio-economic development at both local and regional levels, while contributing to national energy security. Therefore, local authorities have directed relevant agencies to promptly address bottlenecks related to planning, land, and investment procedures to facilitate investors in accelerating project implementation. They are also urged to assign competent and qualified personnel to provide consultation and resolve issues, ensuring that obstacles do not cause delays in the progress of power projects.

Le Ba Quy, Director of the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant Project Management Board in Dong Nai, reports at the meeting. Photo: Hoang Loc

In the afternoon, the Deputy Minister and the working delegation visited the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plant Project in Dong Nai. This is a national key energy project and Vietnam’s first LNG (liquefied natural gas) Power Plant, invested by PetroVietnam Power Corporation, with a total capacity of 1,600 MW and investment capital of US$ 1.4 billion. Once operational, the plant will supply about 9–12 billion kWh of electricity annually to the national grid, contributing to Vietnam’s goal of green energy transition and net-zero emissions by 2050.

By: Hoang Loc

Translated by M.Nguyet-Thu Ha