The Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, Deputy Head of the State Steering Committee for Important National Programs, Works, and Projects in the Energy Sector, chaired a meeting to evaluate and review the progress of the 500kV Circuit 3 transmission line project from Quang Trach to Pho Noi – Photo: VGP/PT
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Completion of investment preparation
At the meeting of the State Steering Committee for Important National Programs, Works, and Projects in the Energy Sector on February 16, Nguyen Anh Tuan, General Director of Vietnam Electricity (EVN), reported that so far, all aspects of the 500kV Circuit 3 transmission line project from Quang Trach to Pho Noi have been completed in accordance with legal requirements.
Regarding contractor selection: The project consists of a total of 226 packages, including 93 packages for foundation construction and erection, 75 packages for steel tower supply, 36 packages for conductor and fiber optic cable supply, 17 packages for insulator and accessories supply, and 5 packages for equipment supply. Up to now, the project has essentially completed the contract signing and implementation, with only 4 packages remaining to complete the procedures (to be completed soon).
In terms of land clearance and handover of tower foundation positions, approximately 91% has been completed, and the right-of-way clearance has reached about 21%.
Specifically, for the Nam Dinh I – Thanh Hoa 500kV transmission line project, 180 out of 180 tower foundation positions have been handed over (including 1 newly handed over position) and 35 out of 75 guy wire anchor positions have been handed over.
For the Nam Dinh I – Pho Noi 500kV transmission line project, 327 out of 334 tower foundation positions have been handed over (including 2 positions that have been handed over but encountered difficulties, and 1 partially handed over position) and 89 out of 136 guy wire anchor positions have been handed over.
For the Quang Trach – Quynh Luu 500kV transmission line project, 404 out of 463 tower foundation positions have been handed over, and the land clearance for 194 guy wire anchor positions is currently being carried out. Out of the 404 mentioned positions, 61 positions cannot be constructed, including 60 positions due to forest purpose conversion and procedural difficulties impacting the forest, and 1 newly handed over position.
For the Quynh Luu – Thanh Hoa 500kV transmission line project, 164 out of 203 tower foundation positions have been handed over, and the land clearance for 98 guy wire anchor positions is currently being carried out.
In terms of construction, after obtaining the land, the contractors quickly deployed and achieved certain results.
Specifically, for the Nam Dinh I – Thanh Hoa 500kV transmission line project, which started on October 25, 2023, 75 out of 180 tower foundation positions have been cast, and construction, excavation, and foundation casting or pile driving are currently being carried out at 94 out of 180 tower foundation positions in the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, and Nam Dinh.
For the Nam Dinh I – Pho Noi 500kV transmission line project, which started on January 18, 2024, 4 out of 334 tower foundation positions have been cast, and excavation and foundation casting are currently being carried out at 158 out of 334 tower foundation positions.
For the Quynh Luu – Thanh Hoa 500kV transmission line project, which started on January 18, 2024, excavation, foundation casting, and pile driving are currently being carried out at 71 out of 203 tower foundation positions.
For the Quang Trach – Quynh Luu 500kV transmission line project, which started on January 18, 2024, 1 out of 463 tower foundation positions have been cast, and excavation, foundation casting, and pile driving are currently being carried out at 174 out of 463 tower foundation positions.
 Dang Hoang An, Chairman of EVN, said that the biggest difficulty at present is the procedures related to forest land conversion and temporary construction roads
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Procedural challenges
According to Nguyen Anh Tuan, although positive results have been achieved, there is still a significant amount of work to be done, and the deadline for reaching 30% progress by June 30 is approaching. In particular, the project is facing some difficulties related to regulations on forest land conversion and temporary construction roads, as well as land handover for tower foundation positions and right-of-way, which have not met the required standards.
In terms of forest land use for temporary roads and material storage yards, there are no regulations/guidelines in place. On February 2, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Document No. 996/BNN-KL reporting to the Prime Minister on the issuance of a revised and supplemented decree to address difficulties in allowing impacts on forests for construction purposes in projects. However, if we wait for the revised and supplemented decree to take effect (as regulated, at least 45 days after being signed), it would delay the progress of the projects.
Regarding the land conversion for tower foundation positions, the Prime Minister has approved the conversion of natural forest land within the approved scope of the project. However, during the technical design phase, due to the need for precise design solutions, there may be discrepancies in the location of some tower foundation positions (although the converted area does not exceed the approved scope). This also creates difficulties in the evaluation and approval of the forest conversion dossier in the provinces.
In his statement at the meeting, EVN Chairman Dang Hoang An stressed that the biggest current challenge lies in the procedures related to forest land conversion and temporary construction roads.
In order to strive to complete the project according to the Prime Minister’s directive before June 30, 2024, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien proposed that the relevant ministries, localities, and especially the investors carry out the following tasks:
First, the ministries and localities should proactively review the tasks and assignments given by the Government and the Prime Minister, and focus on resolving or supporting the resolution of obstacles and difficulties faced by the investor and contractors. The biggest obstacle currently is the conversion of forest land and the relocation of construction machinery for the project.
Second, the localities should complete the handover of land for tower foundation positions and resolve any remaining issues preventing the construction from proceeding. The handover must be completed by February 20. For the right-of-way, the handover should take place no later than March 15.
Third, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Government Office should report to the Prime Minister for consideration, on the one hand, on the issuance of a decree to amend and supplement Decree 156. While awaiting the issuance and effectiveness of this decree as regulated by the law, the relevant authorities should report to the Government and the Prime Minister to allow the conversion of forest and agricultural land for construction purposes.
The State Capital Management Committee in Enterprises should cooperate with the Compensation and Ground Clearance Councils of the localities, as well as EVN/EVNNPT, to resolve any related issues regarding the compensation and resettlement of rubber plantation land.
Fourth, EVN/EVNNPT should urgently and thoroughly prepare and provide relevant documents for the localities to develop compensation and resettlement plans, as well as begin the construction at the positions that have land clearance and meet the conditions for construction in order to achieve the project schedule. The selection of contractors for the remaining packages, especially the selection of contractors for the supply of core equipment, should be completed in February. There should be closer coordination with the local authorities and functional agencies to implement the project, paying particular attention to security, including security during the construction process. Additionally, environmental issues should be minimized to the extent that they do not significantly impact the daily lives of local residents.
“The investor, ministries, and localities need to do well in communication to create consensus and support from the people, organizations, and individuals for the project during both the construction and future management and operation, as this is not just EVN’s project, but a national key project,” Minister Dien emphasized.
At the meeting, the localities also pledged to provide strong leadership and make their best efforts to complete the land handover according to the set schedule. They also committed to supporting the investor in handling procedures and ensuring smooth construction.
