On December 14, the LNG-fired Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 Power Plant Project was officially inaugurated. Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the inauguration and commissioning of the two plants not only marked a new milestone for Viet Nam’s power and oil and gas sectors, but also clearly reflected the country’s strategic development mindset in the current period: treating energy security as the foundation of national security, and as a prerequisite for rapid, sustainable and self-reliant growth.

The Prime Minister stressed that the LNG Nhon Trach 3 and 4 project has been positioned appropriately within the overall national development framework. It is an important piece in ensuring national energy security, while also serving as a representative model of Viet Nam’s capacity to organize and implement large-scale, complex projects under new conditions. This approach demonstrates that Nhon Trach 3 and 4 are not merely the story of a single project, but a story of vision, institutions, methods of governance and national resolve.

Energy security as a pillar of national security

Under the Government’s approach, energy security is not simply about ensuring sufficient electricity for production and daily life. It is about guaranteeing the stability, autonomy and adaptability of the entire national energy system amid growing global volatility. The Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized that energy security is a pillar of national security, intrinsically linked to economic security, environmental security and social security.

Within this broader context, the commissioning of the LNG Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power complex carries particular significance. By adding a large-scale source of electricity to the national grid, the project directly meets the rising power demand of an economy undergoing industrialization and modernization. More importantly, LNG-fired power offers high operational flexibility and rapid load adjustment, helping enhance grid stability as the share of renewable energy continues to increase.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said the project was the result of a concerted national effort, reflecting the maturity of the entire system. “This is the effort of the entire Party, the entire people and the whole political system, demonstrating the growing maturity of ministries, sectors, localities, agencies and enterprises under the leadership of the Party, directly and regularly by the Politburo and the Secretariat, headed by the General Secretary,” he noted. In this process, state-owned economic groups were highlighted as pioneering and spearheading forces in implementing strategic infrastructure projects.

According to the Prime Minister, the proactiveness, resilience and execution capacity of state-owned enterprises, including Petrovietnam, played a decisive role in bringing the project to completion on schedule, while ensuring quality and safety. This achievement is particularly meaningful given that the project was implemented amid sharp fluctuations in global energy markets, rising input costs and increasingly stringent technical requirements.

Beyond strengthening energy security, the LNG Nhon Trach 3 and 4 project is also an important step in Viet Nam’s green and sustainable energy transition. LNG power is regarded as a pragmatic transitional solution, capable of meeting immediate electricity needs while reducing emissions compared to traditional thermal power sources, in line with Viet Nam’s commitments to emissions reduction and carbon neutrality. In his remarks, the Prime Minister underscored the project’s role in translating international commitments into concrete action, linking energy development with environmental protection and long-term national interests.

Valuing intellect, saving time, acting decisively at the right moment

The development of Nhon Trach 3 and 4 goes beyond expanding supply and reinforcing national energy security. It also exemplifies a pragmatic, flexible policy approach and Viet Nam’s increasingly mature capacity to organize and execute large, complex projects fraught with barriers and challenges.

One of the key points highlighted by the Prime Minister was that the project was implemented without Government guarantees, requiring financing to be arranged from international financial institutions under stringent standards. This was a demanding task, calling for strong corporate governance, credibility and resolve. “The project was carried out without Government guarantees and had to mobilize capital from international financial institutions with strict requirements. This is a model that demonstrates the maturity, growth and resilience of enterprises,” the Prime Minister said.

The implementation of LNG Nhon Trach 3 and 4 also illustrates a flexible, substantive and effective policy mindset. Rather than waiting for a perfect framework, the Government chose to proceed while refining and adjusting policies to suit practical realities. The Prime Minister described this as a crucial lesson in development governance: “We move forward while expanding and gradually perfecting our framework, with a spirit of avoiding perfectionism and haste, not missing opportunities, and placing national and ethnic interests above all else. This is a very important lesson.”

Such an approach reflects a strong action-oriented spirit, marked by the willingness to think boldly, act decisively and take responsibility, with practical effectiveness as the ultimate benchmark. It also demonstrates the synchronized operation of the entire political system, from central to local levels, from regulators to enterprises, in removing obstacles and bottlenecks for the project.

In his overall assessment, the Prime Minister stated: “It can be said that the construction and inauguration of this project represent a model and exemplary achievement in many respects, especially in overcoming all difficulties, challenges and obstacles to complete it on schedule, ensuring quality, safety, environmental hygiene and appropriate resettlement for local residents.”

This assessment recognizes not only the outcome, but also the execution process, in which human factors, discipline, order and a strong sense of responsibility were placed at the forefront.

From Nhon Trach 3 and 4, the image of a more mature and globally integrated Petrovietnam is also clearly defined. The Prime Minister affirmed: “Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group has joined global production and supply chains; it is a Vietnamese multinational, a leading state-owned economic group with a warrior spirit, daring to think, daring to act, daring to take risks and overcome all challenges.” Beyond its role as an investor, Petrovietnam is also expected to assume EPC contractor responsibilities for major energy projects, not only domestically but internationally.

Behind these achievements lies an action philosophy that the Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized: “Valuing intellect, saving time, and acting decisively at the right moment.” This principle runs consistently through the Government’s direction and administration of key infrastructure projects, turning challenges into opportunities and pressure into momentum for development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated the Government’s consistent commitment to accompanying enterprises and relevant stakeholders: “The Government commits to accompanying, listening, removing difficulties and obstacles, and creating all favorable conditions through open institutions, seamless infrastructure and smart governance.” This pledge clearly reflects the orientation toward building a favorable, stable and transparent institutional environment for energy and infrastructure development, thereby laying a solid foundation for strategic projects over the long term.

From this perspective, Nhon Trach 3 and 4 are not merely two power plants, but symbols of a new development phase in which energy security is closely intertwined with institutional capacity, corporate capability and Viet Nam’s aspiration to move up the global value chain.

Within the framework of the inauguration ceremony of Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 Power Plants at Ong Keo Industrial Park, Dai Phuoc Commune, Dong Nai Province, the Organizing Committee held a plaque-unveiling ceremony designating the project as a “Representative Work” in celebration of Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025–2030 term, toward the 14th National Party Congress.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission; Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien; Le Manh Hung, Chairman of the Members’ Council of Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam); and leaders of ministries, sectors, localities and relevant units.