Vietnam Environment Administration proposes to revive hydropower plants

Vietnam Environment Administration proposes to revive hydropower plants

VEA's chair Tran Viet Ngai has proposed reconsidering the decision to remove
small & medium hydropower projects and allow investment to resume.

Many hydropower plants were built in 2010-2014, affecting the forest
environment. Because of this, the NA decided to remove 400 projects from the
hydropower development program.

However, according to Ngai, over 300 small & medium hydropower projects have
been built with the total capacity of 4,000 MW which provides 10 billion kwh
of electricity to the national grid every year.

He emphasized that many projects have been operating in a stable way, while
forests have been replanted and the projects do not have any negative
effects on people's resettlement or lives.

If 300-400 more small- and medium-sized hydropower plants are built, the
total capacity would be 3,000-4,000 MW, or 15 billion kwh of electricity
He believes that it is necessary to inspect the projects which have been
removed and develop effective projects.

These must be projects with high economic efficiency and high capacity (over
30 MW). The projects would be useful as they can provide electricity to
remote areas, thus easing the overload on the national grid.

The projects would be resumed only if the investors can strictly follow the
procedures of building and ensuring the operation of water reservoirs, and
minimizing deforestation.

According to Phan Duy Phu, deputy director of the Hydropower Department of
the General Directorate of Energy, in order to develop small and medium
hydropower plants in a sustainable way, it would be better to decentralize
to local industry departments.

It is also necessary to strengthen cooperation among ministries, branches
and local authorities to program the hydropower plant network, and the
operation and exploitation of the works.

Phan Van Cuong, deputy director of the Lao Cai provincial Industry and Trade
Department, said small and medium hydropower plants can bring big benefits
to local economies and help ease electricity shortages, provided that the
projects are assigned to capable investors.

Experts have also urged the development of renewable energy.

Ngai said developing solar energy in Vietnam is a feasible solution. Solar
energy is available in Vietnam all year round.

Meanwhile, with modern technologies and the 4.0 industrial revolution, wind
turbines are getting cheaper. Vietnam has 2,000-3,000 hours of sun a year
for power exploitation.

Under Prime Minister's Decision No 11, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has the
responsibility of buying electricity from solar power projects at VND2,086
per kwh, or 9.35 cent.

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Link to Original Article:
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/183079/vn-environment-administr
ation-proposes-to-revive-hydropower-plants.html

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com