Failed negotiations between the power company and localities on where to place power stations and lines were to blame for the delay of power transmission projects, according to the National Power Transmission Corporation.— Photo thanhnien.vn
In HCM City, the 220kV Tao Đàn-Tân Cảng underground cable was scheduled for completion last year, but the company and local authorities have not reached an agreement on where the cable should run.
Slow land clearance delayed other projects including the 500kV Vĩnh Tân-Sông Mây-Tân Uyên line in the provinces of Bình Thuận and Đồng Nai and the 500kv Long Phú-Ô Môn line in the southern province of Hậu Giang.
Other power lines running through forest land also faced delays last year because project investors are required to complete environmental impact assessments.
The National Power Transmission Corporation also said changes in funding sources affected the progress of some projects as the Government wanted to reduce the use of Overseas Development Assistance funds. Domestic capital was mobilised instead to fund the projects.
The corporation said that last year it started 42 power transmission projects with total disbursed investment of VNĐ15.5 trillion (US$666.6 million).
Of the projects, the 500kV Vũng Áng-Pleiku 2 line will be especially important in providing power to the southern region.
Last year, it also completed 54 power transmission projects, helping ensure power supply to Hà Nội, key economic hubs in the north and the south such as the 500kV and 220kV lines Hiệp Hoà-Đông Anh-Bắc Ninh, 500kV Tân Định Transformer Substation and Lai Châu 500kV Transformer Substation.
The corporation said that during this year and next, it expected to assess 169 feasibility studies and prepare investments for the projects.
To speed up power transmission projects, the corporation told Vietnam News Agency that it was very important for it to have the co-operation of local authorities in arranging the locations of transformer stations and electricity lines.
It recommended to the Government that local authorities minimise the use of forest land in power projects.
It also said that if a power line was approved by provincial people’s committees and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, it should not have to be submitted to the Prime Minister.
The corporation also wants approval to increase the capacity of transformer stations and the transmitting capacity of electrical lines to ensure power supply.