On the afternoon of May 8 in Ninh Binh province, a working delegation from the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a meeting with the provincial People's Committee on the implementation of power source and grid projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII.

The delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long, with the participation of representatives from the Electricity Authority, the Department of Oil, Gas and Coal, the Office of the Steering Committee for Energy Development, the National Power System and Market Operation Company Limited (NSMO), Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and relevant units. On the side of the Ninh Binh People's Committee, the delegation was received by Nguyen Cao Son, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, along with leaders of related departments and agencies.

At the meeting, Ninh Binh province reported to the delegation on the implementation of power source and grid projects in the locality, including the 1,200MW Nam Dinh I BOT Thermal Power Plant Project; the 300MW Ninh Binh Flexible Thermal Power Plant Project; the 1,200MW Ninh Binh 2 Flexible Thermal Power Plant Project; projects on investment and upgrading of 500kV substations; the 500/220kV Nho Quan - Phu Ly - Thuong Tin transmission line project; the 500kV Nam Dinh - Thanh Hoa branch - Pho Noi transmission line project; and the 500kV LNG Nghi Son - Hung Yen 2 transmission line project.

After hearing the report, participants focused on analysing and clarifying difficulties and obstacles arising during the implementation of power source and grid projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII in the province, as well as solutions to remove bottlenecks.

In order to accelerate the progress of projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII and ensure power supply for 2026 and the following years, the Minister of Industry and Trade had previously held multiple meetings with ministries, sectors, localities, groups and corporations in the energy sector to urge the implementation of power projects.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has also organised eight working delegations across the three regions of the country to inspect and remove obstacles for power projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII in provinces and cities. The delegations focused on reviewing practical difficulties related to legal regulations and implementation issues based on reports from local authorities and investors. However, the implementation of power source and grid projects under the revised Power Development Plan VIII still faces numerous obstacles related to mechanisms, policies and investment procedures, posing a potential risk of power shortages in the coming period if timely and decisive solutions are not introduced.

According to the working agenda, on May 9, the Ministry of Industry and Trade delegation will inspect the Nho Quan - Phu Ly - Thuong Tin 500kV transmission line project and survey two proposed locations for battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities suggested by Ninh Binh province.