Nghe An: Numerous negative consequences due to delayed hydropower projects.
(Baonghean.vn) - Some hydropower projects have been under construction for over 15 years and are still unfinished, while others were approved long ago but have yet to be implemented. Local authorities and residents have repeatedly requested that these projects be removed from the planning as soon as possible.
Construction began before all procedures were completed.
For many years, whenever there are meetings with constituents, people in Tien Phong commune (Que Phong district) bring up the Tien Phong hydropower project. This is one of the hydropower projects that is behind schedule and is currently suspended due to the failure to convert forest land for other purposes.
"The people have voiced many opinions. And not only the people, but the local government also wants to remove this delayed hydropower project from the planning as soon as possible," said Mr. Vo Khanh Toan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Phong commune.
The Tien Phong hydroelectric project is located on the Nam Nien River, in Tien Phong commune. This area is deep within the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve. The project has an installed capacity of only 6 MW, with an estimated total investment of over 211 billion VND.
Despite its small capacity, this hydropower project will have a significant impact on forest area. Of the area planned for the hydropower plant, nearly 5 hectares have not yet been converted for other uses. This includes over 2.6 hectares of natural forest land designated as protective and special-use forest land.
Despite having large areas of forest land that had not yet been converted for other uses, the investor still proceeded with construction in March 2018.hydroelectricTien Phong Newspaper. “When we discovered the investor bringing in machinery to start construction, we immediately went there to draw up a report, demanding that they stop and remove the machinery from the forest,” Mr. Vo Khanh Toan recounted.
The People's Committee of Que Phong district subsequently issued a document requesting the investor to strictly comply with legal regulations and complete all necessary documents and procedures before commencing construction. Therefore, to this day, this project remains only on paper.
Although the hydroelectric dam is small, it will have a huge impact on the forest. The area is a headwater forest with many ancient trees. In addition, there are three very beautiful waterfalls there, a favorite destination for the locals. If the hydroelectric dam is built, all three waterfalls will be wiped out.
Regarding this issue, a representative from the Department of Industry and Trade stated that the Tien Phong Hydropower Plant project is behind schedule and is currently suspended to allow for the conversion of forest land within the project's construction plan, which has not yet been converted according to the regulations of the Central Party Secretariat in Directive No. 13 on strengthening forest management, protection, and development. Most recently, on February 17, 2023, the Department of Industry and Trade sent a letter to the Department of Planning and Investment to advise the Provincial People's Committee to establish an inspection team for projects that are behind schedule or not being implemented in the province, including the Tien Phong Hydropower Plant project.
For this project, the Department of Industry and Trade will direct the investor to urgently complete the dossier to submit to the Prime Minister for permission to convert the forest land use purpose. The investor will be required to develop an implementation roadmap and commit to a timeline if the Provincial People's Committee approves the extension of the investment certificate. If the investor does not have a clear roadmap and feasible solutions, the project will be terminated.
Villages lacking many resources due to slow hydropower project implementation.
Similarly to Tien Phong commune, for many years, the government and people of My Ly commune (Ky Son district) have also frequently expressed their opinions and requested that the My Ly hydropower project be removed from the planning. The slow implementation of this hydropower project has greatly affected the lives of local people.
To build the hydroelectric dam, since 2007, investment and permanent construction have been halted in the areas expected to be affected. Therefore, villages like Xop Duong and Cha Nga are still known today as "villages with nothing."
The people there lack everything. We wanted to invest in infrastructure but were hampered by the My Ly hydroelectric project's planning, so we couldn't. Even now, these villages still have no electricity, no phone signal, only rough, rocky dirt roads. There's a severe shortage of clean water, but we can't invest in building a water treatment plant for the villagers; they have to trek kilometers through the forest carrying water in cans. The schools are dilapidated; we recently had to appeal for donations to build a temporary school building. In addition, another charitable group helped build a small bridge to ease the villagers' difficulties.
Besides My Ly commune, Ky Son district also has the Nam Mo 1 hydropower project (Ta Ca commune), which was approved at the same time but has not yet been implemented, affecting the lives of the people. In 2014, the My Ly hydropower project (180 MW capacity) and Nam Mo 1 (90 MW capacity) were assigned by the Prime Minister to My Ly - Nam Mo Hydropower Joint Stock Company as the investor.
According to our investigation, these two projects are part of the national power development plan for the period 2011-2020, with consideration up to 2030. The projects were reviewed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2016, and the Prime Minister agreed to assign the investor to approve the investment projects for the construction of the My Ly and Nam Mo 1 hydropower plants.
According to a report from the Department of Industry and Trade, since 2021, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a document requesting the removal of the My Ly and Nam Mo 1 hydropower projects from the revised Power Plan VII and Power Plan VIII. However, in the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Submission No. 4778/TTr-BCT dated August 11, 2022, regarding the approval of the National Power Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045, the My Ly and Nam Mo 1 hydropower projects are still included in the draft Power Plan VIII, with the My Ly project's capacity adjusted from 180 MW down to 120 MW; Regarding the Nam Mo 1 project, which was reduced from 90 MW to 50 MW, the Ministry of Industry and Trade projected the project's implementation period to be between 2021 and 2025. Therefore, the project lacks a clear basis for proposing solutions to accelerate its progress, and the province's stance is to discontinue the project.
Not only are there projects that haven't been implemented yet, but in Nghe An province, there are also projects that have started construction but remain unfinished for many years. Particularly noteworthy is the Suoi Choang hydropower project (Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district), which began construction in 2009. Initially, the project had a total investment of 74.5 billion VND, an approved installed capacity of 2.1 MW, and was expected to be completed in 2012 with an average annual electricity production of 14.2 million kWh. However, construction subsequently slowed down, even stalling for many years. The Suoi Choang hydropower project was restarted at the end of 2017. However, from then until April 2021, the investor requested three adjustments to the project schedule and total investment amount as stated in the Investment Registration Certificate.
In addition, there is the Chau Thon Hydropower Project (Que Phong District). Construction on this project began in 2007 with a capacity of only 18 MW, and was expected to be completed in 2009. However, after many years of slow progress, the investor recently requested a planning adjustment, proposing to split it into two projects: the Chau Thon Hydropower Project with a capacity of 29.8 MW; and the Chau Thon A Hydropower Project with a capacity of 4 MW.
Thus, the Chau Thon hydropower project is proposed to increase its capacity from 18 MW to 33.8 MW. According to a report from the Department of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently approved the adjustment of the project's planning. The Department of Industry and Trade has requested the investor to develop an implementation roadmap and commit to a timeline.
