Hundreds of hydropower projects will be put under review
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong confirmed to the Daily on Thursday that the axe will fall on those projects no longer suitable, especially small ones. According to the deputy minister, the country has about 990 hydropower projects of small and medium sizes with total output of some 7,500 MW.
With the review over the past time, up to 331 small and medium sized hydropower schemes have been removed due to late deployment, ineffective operations and negative impact on the environment, he noted.
Only around 340 hydropower projects already put into operation or still under construction are found harmless to the environment while investors of such projects are strictly abiding by regulations on re-forestation as recorded by the ministry during the review, he said.
Vuong said his ministry is outlining a circular on the management and investment of hydropower projects and plans to release it at the end of the year. To strengthen control over investment activities of hydropower schemes, the ministry will include in the circular a number of rules on opening bidding to select project owners and ensuring the quality of the works, Vuong clarified.
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai early this month had requested related localities, ministries and agencies to enhance management over hydropower projects. This means the industry and trade ministry will have to screen and adjust hydropower zoning plans to abolish unqualified ones step-by-step.
Besides, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in this quarter will present to the Prime Minister the process on regulating reservoirs in Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers in the central region in the dry season. The process of regulating reservoirs of the remaining rivers in the country in the dry and flood seasons will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval next year by the ministry.