The MOIT proposes 3 principles, 5 'urgent' solutions for electricity supply

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) specifies 3 main principles for ensuring electricity supply in 2022 and the following years, including:

1/ To focus on implementing synchronous solutions to ensure meeting the electricity demand for the socio-economic development of the country and daily life of the people, to avoid power shortages in all circumstances.

2/ To follow hardly on the electricity demand growth, economic recovery and development to update the load forecasts for the base and high scenarios in usual and the most unfavorable conditions in 2022 and following yeas for direction and operation.

3/ The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) holds the decisive role and takes the main responsibility leading in ensuring sufficient electricity supply for the economic development and social needs.

Based on the assessment of the electricity supply situation in the coming time, the MoIT and EVN propose 5 main solutions to ensure the electricity supply:

Firstly: Reviewing power projects under construction and putting them into operation in the period of 2021 – 2025. Proposing solutions to ensure the planned progress, proactively removing difficulties and obstacles in investment, construction and operation of the power plants and the power grid. MoIT expects the total newly added capacity of the power plants in 2022 as 3,164 MW, including 1,930 MW of thermal power, 1,244 MW of hydropower with 1132 MW of small hydropower. MoIT directs PVN to focus all the forces on promoting the Thai Binh 2 Thermal power project (2x600 MW) with synchronizing unit 1 with power system in May 2022.

Secondly: Reviewing projects, construction of that can be accelerated in 2022-2025 period. Directing EVN to research the solutions for the safe operation of power system with a high rate of renewable energy projects. In the immediate time, it is urgent to review power plants in the North for the power shortage resistance.

Thirdly: Harrying up to construct the transmission lines and transformer substations for releasing capacity of existing projects, especially renewable energy (RE) projects with an aim not to reduce capacities of the constructed power plants due to grid overload. While waiting for the adjusted Electricity Law to amend regulations on the transmission monopoly, it is necessary to attract investment in power grid connection from power plant investors.

Fourthly: Directing EVN to speed up the progress for negotiation, signing and implementing the contracts for electricity imports from China and Laos.

Fifthly: MoIT continuously directs EVN and power plant investors to implement solutions to ensure safe and stable operation, management and maintenance of generating units. MoIT directs EVN to safely operate the power grid system, especially the North-South 500kV power transmission system and the power transmission system; directing EVN and its member units to work with the customers, who has backup power sources to prepare ready operation to supplement the power supply in the case of not receiving power from the system. At the same time, develop and propose a mechanism for the program to adjust the electrical load (Demand Response), arrange an appropriate repair schedule for the repair of the power sources, saving use water from hydropower plants, improve the availability of the power plants, especially at the peak time in the dry season of the Northern region …

In order to ensure enough electricity for the socio-economic development of the country, besides the efforts of MoIT, EVN needs very much the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister and the coordination of the Ministries, agencies and local authorities. The Government early approves Power Development Planning VIII should be an important solution to contribute to reducing electricity shortage risk in the coming time and meet requirements for socio-economic development of the country in the post-Covid 19 pandemic period.