Renewable energy projects facing difficulties: Must continue to be handled more quickly and decisively

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh has directed that difficulties and problems must be handled more quickly and decisively. The ministries, branches and localities responsible must take action to handle them.

Disassemble in a direction-oriented spirit

This morning (June 23), Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh chaired a meeting of Steering Committee 751 (according to Decision No. 751/QD-TTg dated April 11, 2025 of the Prime Minister establishing a Steering Committee on resolving difficulties and problems of backlogged projects) on two contents: Implementing the Politburo 's Conclusion on difficult and stuck projects that need to be resolved and the content on the implementation status of Resolution No. 233/NQ-CP of the Government on renewable energy projects.

At the meeting, after listening to reports and comments from leaders of relevant ministries and branches, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh stated that the direction and requirements of the Politburo are to urgently and fully review projects with difficulties and outstanding problems.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh chairs the meeting of Steering Committee 751 - Photo: VGP.

In the process of removing difficulties and obstacles, do not legalize violations and especially absolutely do not let other negative and violations arise; it is necessary to refer to the experience of handling 2 hospital projects in Ha Nam, Viet Duc Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital, Branch 2. Before removing difficulties, an inspection was conducted and the inspection conclusion was made, individuals and units with violations were included in the conclusion, then these 2 projects were allowed to continue to be implemented, the violations are the responsibility of the authorities, the investment part is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health to continue to undertake; currently, the 2 projects are being actively implemented and it is expected that by December, the 2 hospitals will be put into operation.

Regarding the implementation of Resolution No. 233/NQ-CP of the Government on renewable energy projects, emphasizing the overarching spirit of having to fully and responsibly carry out the Government's direction on removing difficulties for businesses; from the Government, ministries, branches, and localities must come together to handle, and difficulties must be resolved, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh assessed that the implementation of Resolution No. 233 has so far been completed, and some tasks are being actively implemented as reported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

However, there are still many unfinished tasks, difficulties, obstacles and problems. These difficulties and obstacles must continue to be handled more quickly and decisively. The responsibilities of ministries, branches and localities must be taken up by those agencies to handle and resolve them in the spirit of having a specific and clear direction, plan and completion time.

In many previous meetings to resolve difficulties for related renewable energy projects, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh also emphasized that "without acceptance records, there are no conditions for operation, and without conditions for operation, there is no FIT price", and at the same time required projects to comply with legal regulations.

Energy investors wait for positive signals

The problem with renewable energy projects lies in the fact that the plants have been put into commercial operation and have enjoyed FIT prices according to Decisions No. 11/2017/QD-TTg, No. 13/2020/QD-TTg and No. 39/2018/QD-TTg, but later the inspection agency said that many projects did not have enough procedures to enjoy those prices.

A representative of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) said in April 2025 that there are currently 172 renewable energy plants that have not had their acceptance results approved by the competent State agency at the time of commercial operation recognition.

EVN has worked with investors of 159 factories, of which 39 factories said they have requested state agencies to approve the acceptance results (19 factories sent official documents, 20 factories sent documents via electronic forms).

Many renewable energy projects have been put into commercial operation but are no longer entitled to FIT prices as before, due to the lack of Minutes of acceptance inspection results from competent authorities.

Currently, EVN is making provisional payments from January 2025 for 159 factories/parts of factories. Specifically, 25 factories/parts of factories (total capacity of 1,278 MWp) that are paying according to the preferential price FIT 1 will make provisional payments according to the preferential price FIT 2; 93 solar factories/parts of factories (total capacity of 7,257 MW) that are paying according to the FIT price will make provisional payments according to the transition price; 14 wind power factories/parts of factories (total capacity of 649 MW) that are paying according to the preferential price will make provisional payments according to the direct ceiling price and the remaining 27 factories/parts of factories with written approval of the acceptance results during the preferential price period are still making payments according to the preferential price specified in the signed power purchase contract.

There are also 13 factories that have not yet received acceptance results. EVN has temporarily paid operating costs so that investors can cover the factory's operating costs.

In addition, when asked by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to assess the impact of the plan proposed by EVN on solar and wind power projects with difficulties and obstacles according to Resolution No. 233/NQ-CP dated December 10, 2024 of the Government, EVN said that the enterprise did not have enough information to assess the overall impact on the socio-economy and the impact on the domestic and international investment environment because this is a macro issue, requiring assessment support from higher levels of state management.

At the same time, EVN has requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to review and coordinate with relevant ministries to make a comprehensive assessment of the socio-economic impacts, risks of domestic and international lawsuits, and impacts on the investment environment for the plan proposed by EVN, thereby deciding on the optimal plan to direct and guide EVN to implement.

It is known that currently many investors, including foreign investors, are considering suing the electricity buyer because they believe that they have not properly performed the signed electricity purchase contract.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/du-an-nang-luong-tai-tao-vuong-mac-phai-tiep-tuc-xu-ly-nhanh-hon-quyet-liet-hon-d311654.html