Party leader’s great concern for electricity sector

Concern for industry and energy development

As the leader of the country, having held various positions, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has paid great attention to industry and energy development, including the electricity sector, with the core being the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN).

Not only providing strategic direction, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also directed relevant agencies, departments and sectors to improve the legal framework and create appropriate policies for the energy sector in general and the electricity sector in particular to develop, ensuring national energy security and serving production, business needs and the people’s daily life. During his term as Party General Secretary from 2016 to 2020, comrade Nguyen Phu Trong visited the EVN four times.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits the Son La Hydropower Plant on January 8, 2014 - archival photo

The first visit was in 2014, prior to the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. On January 8, 2014, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited and inspected the management and operation of the Son La Hydropower Plant and preparations for electricity supply during Tet.

The second visit was on August 14, 2014, during a business trip to Can Tho City. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his delegation visited and worked with the EVN’s Power Generation Corporation 2 (EVNGENCO2) at the O Mon I Thermal Power Plant.

The third visit was in 2016, when Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant after Units 1 and 2 started electricity generation.

The fourth visit was on the Lunar New Year’s Eve, February 4, 2019. Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong visited and extended Tet wishes to the staff and engineers on duty at the National Load Dispatch Center (A0) in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

Strategic direction with a long-term vision

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has consistently affirmed the electricity sector’s crucial role in ensuring national energy security. Therefore, the leadership and the entire staff and workers of the EVN should further their efforts with a strong determination to fulfill their tasks. They should strive to ensure electricity supply for the country’s socioeconomic development as well as for the people’s daily life.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s concern for the electricity sector in particular and the energy sector in general is evident in his direct guidance for relevant departments and agencies to review the implementation of the ninth Politburo’s Conclusion 26-KL/TW dated October 24, 2003 on the strategy and planning for the development of Vietnam’s electricity sector, and the 10-year implementation of the 10^th Politburo’s Resolution 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2007 on the strategic direction for the development of national energy until 2020, with a vision to 2050. This has led to the formulation of a new Party resolution on the strategic direction for the development of national energy with a longer-term vision.

On February 11, 2020, on behalf of the Politburo, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong signed Resolution 55-NQ/TW on the strategic direction for the development of Vietnam’s energy sector until 2030, with a vision to 2045. The resolution highlights the achievements of the electricity sector. Specifically, the quality of power supply for socioeconomic development has improved. The hydropower sub-sector has developed rapidly. In recent years, wind and solar power development has been accelerated. Investment in the construction of infrastructure for power supply has shown significant progress. The national power grid has reached almost all areas of the country, including remote, border, and island areas. Energy consumption has increased considerably, with a shift towards industrialization in the energy consumption structure. Growing attention has been paid to energy efficiency. The energy sector has been shifted to market mechanisms to mobilize substantial resources for development with the participation of various economic sectors, primarily state-owned enterprises. The energy sector has become a dynamic economic sector, playing a crucial role in promoting socioeconomic development, ensuring defense and security in many localities across the country.

The resolution also points out existing problems of the energy sector, including the electricity sector. It analyzes the causes of these problems and proposes objectives for the new phase, with specific solutions and tasks. This serves as a guideline for ministries, sectors, localities, businesses, and the electricity sector to implement.