Energy supplies must be secured in any scenarios

Top political task

At the working session, leaders of the groups and corporations reported their work performances, difficulties and proposals on energy supplies to serve the country’s socioeconomic development and people’s daily life in the first eight months of 2023 and plans for the last four months as well as for 2024.

Increasing coal mining capacity to ensure supply

Representatives from agencies and department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Commission for the management of State capital at enterprises (CMSC) also reported on their work and proposed specific solutions to leaders of the MoIT and the CMSC. To conclude the meeting, Minister Dien emphasized that ensuring energy security is a top political task. Since the beginning of this year, the Government, the MoIT have had various meetings with relevant ministries, sectors and businesses to ease difficulties and obstacles, and ensure national energy security. It is forecast that in the coming time, raw materials, primary fuels and production inputs in the world market will still have risks of instability, while the demand for energy will continue to increase, along with complicated and unpredictable developments of natural disasters and climate change.

Three key tasks

In order to fulfill the tasks and goals assigned by the Party and State, Minister Dien urged the groups and corporations to absolutely ensure the supply of electricity, coal, petroleum and gas in any scenarios.

As for EVN, it is to thoroughly overcome the problems of thermal and hydropower plants/units within their management scope, ensuring that the plants promote high availability; accelerate the completion of power source and grid projects, especially transmission projects, to release the capacity of power sources; and urgently negotiate to mobilize transitional renewable energy projects as well as other power projects.

He also asked TKV and Dong Bac Corporation to absolutely ensure the supply of coal and gas for power production; increase mining capacity to secure supplies for signed contracts; proactively import coal to meet the needs of electricity generation and other energy demand for economic growth. Meanwhile, the PVN was urged to increase its capacity to exploit and process petroleum products to meet the needs of power generation and the economy; actively import finished petroleum products according to commitments, propose that competent authorities completely handle problems and shortcomings of Nghi Son Oil Refinery and petrochemical joint venture to ensure effective operations; at the same time, accelerating the expansion of Binh Son Refinery and Petrochemical Plant, etc.

The Petrolimex needs to drastically direct and operate the Group’s business system, ensuring that there is no disruption of petroleum supply in every circumstance; proactively import the fuel to ensure sufficient supply for the market, especially during the maintenance period of Nghi Son Oil Refinery.