Removing "bottlenecks" and speeding up the progress of the 220kV Nam Sum transmission line project

Having missed the target of energizing on May 30, the Nam Sum - Nong Cong 220kV transmission line project continues to be at risk of being behind schedule due to problems in road construction, forest product collection procedures, and site clearance compensation.

The 220kV Nam Sum - Nong Cong transmission line project passes through 3 districts: Nhu Xuan, Nhu Thanh, Nong Cong of Thanh Hoa province, with a length of 52.14km, including 125 column foundation locations and 47 corridor anchorages.

According to the Northern Power Project Management Board (NPMB) - the project investor, one of the most "difficult" problems at present is the organization of construction at 9 column foundation locations located in the natural forest area that has not been implemented in Nhu Xuan district. Accordingly, although the procedures related to the conversion of forest use purposes, land recovery, compensation, and site clearance have been completed, these foundation locations have not yet been able to be constructed due to the procedures related to the handling of public assets in the forest area converted for project implementation.

Regarding this issue, based on the decision to approve the change of forest use purpose to another purpose to implement the project, the investor has coordinated with forest owners to develop and submit a plan to utilize forest products. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thanh Hoa province has approved the plan to exploit and utilize common forest plant species from natural production forests to implement the project in Hoa Quy commune (Nhu Xuan). The People's Committee of Nhu Xuan district has approved the plan to exploit and utilize common forest plant species from natural production forests to implement the project in Thanh Phong, Thanh Lam, Hoa Quy and Binh Luong communes.

However, the project is still waiting for the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Finance to review and issue a document guiding the procedures for handling public assets that are natural forest trees that have been converted to forest use purposes by competent authorities.

To reach the column foundation construction site on the mountain, the contractor will have to borrow a temporary construction road through the natural forest.

Deputy Director of the Northern Power Project Management Board Tran Kim Vu proposed: “In order to implement the remaining locations as soon as possible, while waiting for the procedures for collecting and auctioning forest products, we propose that the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee direct and consider allowing the investor to organize tree felling according to the collection plan approved by the competent authority, and gather the forest wood after felling at the location designated by the local commune People's Committee to clear the ground for the contractor to carry out the foundation excavation. Because in reality, the implementation of procedures for collecting and auctioning forest products must be carried out in accordance with the process, if we wait, it will not ensure the urgent progress of the current project”.

Installing scaffolding for wire pulling construction in Mau Lam commune (Nhu Thanh).

Due to difficulties in using temporary construction roads, according to the guidance of Decree 27/2024/ND-CP dated March 6, 2024 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree 156/2018/ND-CP dated November 16, 2018 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Forestry Law (Decree 27) stipulating the construction of temporary roads through natural forests, trees with a diameter of over 20cm must not be cut down, so the route was changed to the original temporary construction road. The investor conducted a re-survey and on June 5 submitted a new plan to the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee for approval, ensuring that no impact on forest trees.

Construction sites on mountains all have difficult terrain, requiring excavation and leveling to transport vehicles and materials.

“We propose that departments, branches, and the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province coordinate and support investors and contractors in the inspection and approval of temporary forest use plans as soon as the documents are submitted. At the same time, consider, guide, and give specific instructions on temporary road construction methods, because in point e, section 1, clause 2, article 1 of Decree 27, it is stated that “...do not build, dig... to change the structure of the natural landscape...”. Meanwhile, actual surveys show that temporary roads all need to be leveled and leveled before machinery and materials can be transported to the construction site,” said Mr. Tran Kim Vu.

Survey of construction route to column foundation positions on the mountain in Binh Luong commune (Nhu Xuan).

Along with that, although relevant levels and sectors have focused on directing and urging, there are still some problems in site clearance work in Nhu Thanh and Nhu Xuan districts.

In Như Thanh district, as of June 7, there are still 3/20 anchorage areas that have not been handed over, related to 34 households with crops on land managed by the Commune People's Committee that had just had their compensation plan approved on June 5 and are waiting for the investor to transfer money for payment; 1 household with land in the safety corridor has not had its compensation plan approved.

Recently, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has sent a document to the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province to direct the People's Committees of Nhu Thanh and Nhu Xuan districts to completely resolve the problems; propagate people to agree to receive compensation and site clearance according to the approved plan. In case households do not receive compensation, EVN requests the locality to organize construction security forces so that the investor can carry out the final items, making efforts to complete the project in June 2024.

Along with that, some households in the two above mentioned districts, although having received compensation for the production forest area affected by the route corridor, have not yet cut down trees and cleared the route corridor for the investor to proceed with the wire pulling.

A location where people have received compensation but have not yet cut down trees in the corridor in Xuan Khang commune (Nhu Thanh).

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nhu Thanh District, Han Van Huyen, said: "The district is actively propagating and mobilizing people to understand the meaning of the project, the origin of the land, the compensation policy mechanism for land acquisition for works and projects whose land is recovered by the State so that people agree and voluntarily hand over the site. Through the mobilization work in recent days, 7 households, although not agreeing with the compensation plan, have agreed to hand over the site to the investor for timely construction. On June 8, the district organized a third dialogue with the remaining household. If this household still deliberately does not comply, we will organize protection for the contractor to carry out the construction."

For Nhu Xuan district, the 220kV Nam Sum - Nong Cong line passing through the district is 28.5km long with 70 column foundation locations and 19 anchorages, the affected area is 2.53ha of residential land and 51.7ha of production land of 3 organizations and 213 households. Although they have agreed to receive compensation and site clearance, many households have not yet organized the cutting down of trees due to limited human resources.

Representatives of the People's Committee of Nhu Xuan district, leaders of Binh Luong commune, investors, contractors and forces discussed plans to ensure security and order and support construction.

Along with that, the construction organization at the foundation position of column number 233 in Binh Luong commune (Nhu Xuan) still has problems related to security and order issues, because the child of a household owner has received compensation but obstructed the construction. The District People's Committee has been directing Binh Luong commune and the police force to resolve the matter so that the investor can smoothly carry out the construction in the coming days.

“For the areas of trees under the corridor that have not been cut down, we will increase propaganda and mobilize people to clear the corridor. Along with that, the district will mobilize forces and socio-political organizations to support families with difficulties in human resources, striving to clean the corridor by June 20 so that the investor can pull the project line,” said Chairman of the People's Committee of Nhu Xuan District, Nguyen Duc Dong.

Regarding the issue of clearing trees in the power corridor, the investor also proposed a plan to support people in cutting down trees and apply the provision of "other support" included in the project cost.

The 220kV Nam Sum - Nong Cong transmission line project is about 130km long, including 2 circuits, from connection point G1 (at the Vietnam - Laos border) to Nong Cong 220kV transformer station, including 299 column foundation positions and 99 corridor anchorages, passing through 2 provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.

In Thanh Hoa, the project passes through 3 districts of Nhu Xuan, Nhu Thanh, Nong Cong, with a length of 52.14km, including 125 column foundation locations and 47 corridor anchorages.

In addition to the goal of meeting the growing load demand of the Northern region's power system, this is also a project to realize the energy cooperation policy between Vietnam and Laos.

Minh Hang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thao-diem-nghen-thuc-tien-do-du-an-duong-day-220kv-nam-sum-nong-cong-216186.htm