Spending on the Central Region hydroelectricity: The responsibility belongs to the locality?

Hydropower, the environment is affected - this fact was recognized by Mr. Ta Van Huong, Director of Department of Energy of Ministry of Industry and Trade. According to Huong, the appraisal and licensing of small and medium hydropower projects in the Central region has been under the jurisdiction of the local authorities in the past.

Mr. Huong said:

- Many businesses want to develop hydropower because this is a very profitable business. There are many small hydropower plants with a capacity of only 2-3 MW, even with very small hydroelectricity capacity, just under 1 MW. We have decentralized decrees for localities to be decided on small hydropower projects (from group B or less).

Mr. Ta Van Huong

The Ministry of Industry and Trade only approves major national key projects (belonging to Group A). As a rule, all hydropower plants must have a new planning, the Ministry of Industry and Trade's task is only to control that plan.

* There is a river in the Central to 'carry on' nearly a dozen hydroelectric plants, so is it properly planned by the Ministry of Industry and Trade?

- Hydroelectricity in the Central Region has been developed recently because the rivers here have a very high slope. Make many lakes close to each other for the simple purpose of fully exploiting the river's performance. If a lake is very large, the number of hydropower plants will decrease, but it will cause widespread flooding because the lake is very big .

As hydroelectricity, of course, there must be a lake, which means flooding, moving people and forests may have to be exploited to convert land use purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to make strict environmental planning and evaluation. The process is very serious. But in the process of making, many places do well, according to regulations, have a good place to work, people complain.

In general, hydropower construction, including small hydroelectricity, is still more favorable to build power plants such as coal, wind, oil and nuclear.

* Sir, not many experts believe that many hydropower projects now exceed the appraisal level of localities?

- In my opinion, so far the evaluation of hydropower projects, if too much, can exceed the capacity of many localities. Although the Government decree has assigned local authorities to appraise and grant licenses, but with the local projects feeling overwhelmed, we have left open the possibility to ask the Ministry of Industry and Trade for assistance.

In fact, there is little local demand. And when not required, the evaluation and licensing will be their rights, they must be responsible for these projects.

* He said that there is a place to do hydropower well and in accordance with regulations, some places are not good but all must go to the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the planning stage? So how does the ministry's review and inspection work, specifically, the Department of Energy do?

- We do not approve the project, do not approve the design but the plan we have agreements with the local. According to the decree on construction investment, the Group B hydropower project is down to the locality, specifically, the Department of Industry and Trade. There is also a special request that Ministry of Industry and Trade has certain interventions.

Left, the responsibility belongs to the localities, they must comply with the requirements of design evaluation and environmental impact assessment of hydropower. Correct inspection is central and should be done. But in the recent time, the Department of Energy has done so much, so most of us have to rely on the reports of the localities to send to the main, and also organize the delegations to check the reality, but they are very limited.

* But public opinion suggests that many hydropower projects that are not in the planning are available?

- Planning proposals are often due to local authorities themselves, even by investors. The fact that planning we cannot understand, calculate every inch of the river's capacity and survey all river sections. Many sections of the river traverse the forest, the survey is very limited. So when there is any problem, the spirit is that we are willing to adjust the plan to make it more reasonable. It is normal to approve planning and adjustment.

Construction units urgently pour concrete at the dam section of Song Tranh 2 hydropower project - Photo: ĐNAM

* But many investors do not consider hydroelectricity, even the purpose of logging is very clear .

- Planning and supplementing planning, on the principle of approval only when the benefits are greater than the damage. On the basis of planning, we have to calculate when this plant is built, how much it will be built, how much water to store, how to operate it to the highest benefit and the lowest possible environmental damage . Investors will be responsible for compensating for all damages caused by the hydropower project. Sometimes projects are approved but investors find it ineffective, so they don't do it anymore.

* Is there a movement to do hydropower because it brings huge profits?

- Yes. That is also a positive aspect. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has mobilized all economic sectors to participate in making small and medium hydroelectricity. Hydropower plants can affect the environment but must also look objective, if we do not build hydropower but thermal power, the environmental impact of the thermal power plant is smaller?

In my opinion, water should not be dumped into the sea while we can exploit it. The problem is that the evaluation and assessment of environmental impacts must be done strictly, how to affect the environment and the lowest people's life.

* He said how to manage it well, which means that the current management has many problems?

- Of course there are some problems. The work of compensation and resettlement for people is sometimes called. Some places have not yet made the process of operating the reservoir incomplete, in the process of operation, it has been discovered and supplemented and adjusted.

When we do, we see holes to fill up, but at first it is hard for anyone to think of a perfect rule. We have calculated that when it comes to hydroelectricity it can only be better for the downstream.

That is, when flood discharge is required, the highest level of discharge is only equal to the amount of flood water flowing in, just like there is no hydroelectric reservoir there, not added. If the investor discharges a level greater than the flood level, he must consider whether he deliberately keeps the water to increase electricity generation, increase the turnover, and when he cannot stop discharging, he will discharge massively, affecting the downstream. save. These processes have reservoir operation procedures. Want to see if the investor can do it right, see in the process of operating the lake will see immediately.

Quang Nam is very 'poignant' with hydropower

The Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee Le Minh Anh said that through the last flood, especially through the flooding of A Vuong hydropower plant, Quang Nam province was very 'poignant'. Therefore, in the coming time, the province will propose to the Government, ministries and branches about completing the strict process of flood discharge of hydropower plants, first of all hydroelectric A Vuong, Dak Mi 4, Song Tranh 2 and Song Bung 4.

Local views should not develop hydropower in a massive way but must have a plan. If the National Appraisal Committee decides to allow investment, but the province considers that the project is not safe for both upstream and downstream, especially the issue of people's welfare, the locality still petitions to the Government to terminate the project. project.

According to Mr. Le Minh Anh, 'if the investor does not replant the forest as previously committed, the province will collect this amount for the people to replant the forest'. Mr. Anh also said that there has not been any investor of the hydropower project in Quang Nam to embark on forest regeneration, including those that have been put into operation as A Vuong hydropower.