Hanoi (VNA) - 🌠Speeding up key projects to ensure power supply for the country is the content of the meeting chaired by the Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on July 17).

Commercial electricity increases by nearly 10 percent

According to Phuong Hoang Kim, Director of the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, in the first 6 months of 2019, the country's commercial electricity grew nearly 10 percent over the same period in 2018. Especially, due to the effects of hot weather, load capacity in April, May and June increased sharply. Kim also forecast that in the remaining months of the year, electricity demand will continue to increase by about 10 percent over the same period last year. However, with the prepared plans, the electricity system will ensure adequate supply of electricity. Regarding the development of renewable energy, according to Kim, the total solar capacity proposed by investors has reached 25,000 MW. In addition, wind power projects have a total capacity of about 16,500 MW. "By the end of June, a total of 89 solar power plants have been put into operation with a total capacity of nearly 4,500 megawatts. This is a timely addition to the national electricity system, contributing to ensuring electricity supply in the first half of 2019," Kim said. However, with the current status of the existing infrastructure, in some periods, in particular, during the noon of the past months, the 500-220-110kV power grid of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen Dak Nong and Dak Lak provinces are overloaded, affecting the safe and stable operation of the electricity system. At the meeting, Kim also highlighted several threats that could lead to a number of risks affecting electricity supply in 2020 such as higher load demand than expected, or poor water flow to hydropower reservoirs, or the shortage of coal, gas for electricity production ... Regarding projects in the revised power development plan VII, Phuong Hoang Kim said that currently, power projects are implemented in three forms of investment, including projects invested by Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Vietnam Coal and Mineral Group (TKV). In addition, there are a number of investment projects in the form of BOT and IPP. However, he is worried that many projects are still behind schedule.

Accelerating projects’ progress

At the meeting, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh also pointed out many reasons leading to some projects being delayed. In particular, subjectively, there are difficulties due to overlapping of rules and procedures. The Minister requested the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy and relevant units of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to quickly accelerate the progress of projects and work with the highest sense of responsibility. At the same time, it is necessary to review sanctions and legal provisions for investors who are behind schedule. He also emphasized the responsibility of some local leaders due to the lack of drastic guidance for projects under the revised power development plan VII, resulting in structural disruption. For the VIII Plan, the Minister requested units under the Ministry to speed up the completion progress, in which, it is necessary to renovate the implementation method and update the actual situation, paying attention to the source structure and issues regarding technology, legal framework in the future. Regarding the operation of hydropower plants, the Minister assigned the Electricity Regulatory Authority to coordinate with the Department of Industrial Safety and Environmental Technology to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to review the operation process of inter-lake and supplement new regulations related to extreme weather. At the same time, continuing to promote the popularisation of economical and efficient use of energy. “The Electricity and Renewable Energy Department re-evaluates all important projects in the Electricity Planning VII, focusing on projects that are behind schedule or whose schedule cannot be determined. We must determine the consequences of these projects for the electricity industry, identify the causes, consequences, and responsibility for each individual, agency and unit to drastically remove these problems,"  Minister Tran Tuan Anh stated./.