The Prime Minister asked to review issues related to the solar power development

Regarding Renewable Energy Development Strategy in Vietnam to 2030 and vision up to 2050, the PM has issued Decision No 13/2020/QĐ-TTg dated on 6/4/2020 on the mechanism to encourage the solar power development in Vietnam, and Document No 414/TTg on 8/4/2020 to ask the MOIT, relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities for close, public and transparent managing solar power planning and investment development in accordance with the regulations with ensuring general targets and economic efficiency, resolutely determining against the negative activities, corruption and actions to take advantage of the policies for seeking profit; strictly punishing the violations.         

Implementing the tasks assigned by PM, MOIT issued Circular No. 18/2020/ TT-BCT dated 17/7/2020 on developing the solar power projects and model purchase agreement (PPA) for them and at the same time, the concrete guideline on the rooftop solar power development.

In recent years, the development of solar power in our country has achieved many positive results, has strongly attracted social resources to invest in this field, contributing to the efficient exploitation of solar energy sources with a high potential in our country, thereby ensuring electricity supply and energy security.

According to EVN statistics, by the end of 2020, the total power capacity in the national power system excluding rooftop solar power projects reached over 62,000 MW, among which, the capacity of solar power projects on the ground was 8,838 MW; the capacity of rooftop solar power projects by the end of 2020 was recorded about 8,000 MW.

However, uncontrolled rooftop solar power development in accordance with electricity demand, especially in December 2020, caused difficulties in operating the national power system. This situation together with the COVID-19 pandemic had a strong adverse impact on the economic growth of our country, leading to a decrease in the electricity demand electricity.

Specifically, the total power generation and import of the national power system in 2020 reached only about 245.9 billion kWh, an increase of about 2.7% compared to 2019 and a decrease of 15.6 billion kWh compared to the plan approved by MOIT at the end of 2019.

Due to the above factors, rightly from the first month of 2021, EVN had to develop and implement a plan to cut down solar power, as well as other renewable energy sources in the national power system, which may cause waste of social resources and the anxiety and frustration of many investors. There have been many reflections on the media about the plan that EVN intends to cut generation of the renewable energy sources in 2021.

In order to ensure the development of solar power in accordance with regulations and promote the best general efficiency, the P M asked MOIT to be responsible for leading and coordinating with the People's Committees of provinces, EVN and relevant agencies urgently to carry out an overall review for current implementing the ground and rooftop solar power projects, and to guide implementing in accordance with mechanisms and regulations issued in Direction Document No 414/TTg-CN of PM and other relevant documents; to study for immediate handling unexpected problems arising in developing the solar power, especially rooftop solar power projects over the recent time. On the other hand to carry out checking and inspecting the rooftop solar power projects in localities and power companies in recent time for strictly handling violations.

PM also ask the relevant ministries, agencies to propose the  best effective management measures for the renewable energy projects, especially for solar power ones and to guide establishing and implementing solutions for maximal limiting  to reduce generation of the operating renewable energy projects, the economic losses of the investors and waste of renewable energy of the country; to be responsible for reviewing the currently deploying power source projects, updating the power supply – demand balance in the coming period to strengthen the best planning management. At the same time, expeditiously complete the Power Development Planning VIII for submitting PM in planned time.

PM required the provincial People’s Committees to be responsible to carry out the guidelines of PM, MOIT on developing ground and rooftop solar power projects, absolutely not let massive solar power development without controlling in their territories, and closely to co-ordinate with MOIT and EVN to check and inspect the rooftop solar power projects in the localities and power companies recent time, and strictly handle violations by their competence.

Vietnamenergy.vn