Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn chairs the meeting on key energy projects on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn has stressed the key role of energy development in national growth targets as he led the sixth meeting of the national steering committee for key energy projects on Thursday. 

He noted that to achieve a national growth rate of more than 8 per cent this year and double-digit growth in the future, the energy sector’s result must be over 1.5 times the national GDP growth. This is equivalent to a production of 8,000MW per year. 

This is a requirement to attract high-tech projects and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as to boost digital transformation and the development of national data centres. 

According to the report presented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), four important energy projects have been put into operation. These include the 500kV Monsoon–Thạch Mỹ transmission line, the 220kV Huội Quảng–Nghĩa Lộ line, the 500kV Vĩnh Yên transformer station and its connecting lines, and the project linking Côn Đảo Special Administrative Zone to the national grid.

In addition, the thermal power plants Nhơn Trạch 3 and 4 are scheduled for commercial operation within 2025, alongside the operation launches at Unit 1 of Hòa Bình Hydropower Plant expansion project and the Quảng Trạch 1 Thermal Power Plant. Construction to expand the Trị An Hydropower Plant is also planned for this year. 

Under the management of the national steering committee, 12 out of 58 energy projects have seen encouraging results, said the deputy PM. However, progress remains slow, especially regarding land clearance for thermal power plants Nhơn Trạch 3 and 4, Trị An Hydropower Plant expansion, and investor selection for liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects. 

At the meeting, local leaders reported that land clearance and handover for other electricity projects will be completed by November 2025. 

Ministries, sectors and localities are urged to closely follow the assigned plans and proactively, within their authority, address any challenges that arise to ensure the project schedules. 

Local authorities are tasked to coordinate with the MoIT and the Ministry of Finance to expedite investor selection for projects that have not completed this stage, such as Nghi Sơn, Cà Ná and Quỳnh Lập gas projects, within Q4-2025. 

For projects that have completed investor selection, local authorities must ensure that a detailed implementation plan with clear timelines is submitted for each. These will be reported to the MoIT for monitoring and supervision. 

Municipal and provincial officials are also in charge of uninterrupted land clearance processes during the transition to the new two-tier local government model. 

Within October, the MoIT must finalise the full organisation and working regulations of the national steering committee on key energy projects to submit to the PM.

The ministry is also tasked with reviewing electricity projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), and including them in the list of key national energy projects in the same month, especially the 2026-30 power supply project for the northern region. 

Deputy PM Sơn also assigned the ministry to compile the comments from cabinet members for the action programme to realise Resolution 70-NQ/TW on national energy security. 

Mechanisms to address slow progress among several designated investors are also expected to be developed.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and the Vietnam National Industry – Energy Group (Petrovietnam) will focus on project implementation, ensuring that all tasks have specific timelines and can be completed earlier than scheduled. The projects must also ensure compliance with labour and technical safety, as well as quality standards throughout the implementation process.

Regarding the development of the Cá Voi Xanh (Blue Whale) Gas Field project, Deputy PM Sơn recommended forming a working group to coordinate with oil and gas giant ExxonMobil on the implementation plan. — VNS