Block low-tech coal-fired power projects: Are technical barriers feasible?

By 2030, coal-fired power will account for over 50%. Picture: St.

The danger exists

A report by the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment shows that the important thing of FDI attraction since the beginning of the year is that, FDI which flows into coal-fired power increases sharply, only behind the processing industry, including $US 2-billion coal-fired thermal power plants have been licensed. The investment project to build the Nghi Son 2 thermal power plant by BOT form, with a total investment of $US 2.793 billion invested by Japanese investors in Thanh Hoa. Nam Dinh 1 thermal power plant project by BOT form with total investment capital of $US 2.07 billion invested by Singaporean investors. Not to mention, a number of other thermal power projects are being studied by foreign corporations such as Dung Quat Thermal Power Plant, Long An 1 and Long An 2 Thermal Power Plant, Quynh Luu Thermo Power Plant and Soc Trang Thermal Power Plant.

It is not until now that new thermal power has attracted foreign businesses. Previously, our country licensed a number of large projects such as Mong Duong 2, Hai Duong, Duyen Hai 2 and Thermoelectric, Vinh Tan 1...

Looking at the National Power Development Planning in the period 2011-2020, with a look at 2030 (referred to as Electricity Regulation VII adjusted), we can understand why coal thermal power has become so hot. According to this master plan, by 2025, coal-fired power plants still account for a very high rate of power generation, accounting for about 55% of electricity produced, consuming about 95 million tons of coal and by 2030 this proportion will be 53, 2%.

However, the rush to invest in coal thermal power has been warned by experts because, in fact, coal-fired electricity has bad effects on the environment, causing social consequences. For example, the emission of dust from the Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Power Plant causes a serious impact on the lives and activities of people in the area, or recently, the story about the “pouring” 1 million cubic meters of sludge into the sea of Vinh Tan 1 thermal power plant.

A study by the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance (VSEA) also found that more than 20 coal-fired plants are operating, creating a threat to the environment and the health of the population and putting pressure on managers. This concern will be even greater if about 40 coal-fired power plants in the Power Master Plan VII adjusted are built across the country by 2030. According to the plan, by 2030 in the Mekong Delta, where is effected heavily due to climate change and the impact of upstream use, will have 14 coal-fired plants with a total installed capacity of more than 18,000 MW. This will be an unpredictable threat to the aquatic ecosystems and fisheries resources of the area.

Because of the impacts of coal-fired thermal power, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has announced a "blacklist" of potentially polluting projects by large corporations such as Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), Vietnam Coal-Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), including Thai Binh 1, Vinh Tan 2, Vinh Tan 4, Vinh Tan 4 expansion, Duyen Hai 1, Duyen Hai 3, Duyen Hai 3 expansion, Quang Ninh Thermal Power JSC...

Expensive!

With the impact of coal-fired thermal power, the need for strict management of new coal-fired power plants as well as special supervision by the Ministry of Industry and Trade for potentially polluting projects should be set.

Nguyen Minh Due, Chairman of the Vietnam Energy Science Council, said that over the past 50 years, we have developed a coal-fired thermal power plant but most of the coal-fired thermal power plants, technologies are imported because we still could not produce yet. Therefore, if the coal-fired thermal power plant continues to be developed in the orientation of the Power Master Plan VII adjusted, we still have to import equipment and technologies. But low-cost and cheap technology increase the fuel consumption and risk of pollution.

One of the barriers to restrict low-tech coal-fired power projects proposed by Mr Due is to appraise projects, including appraisal of investment projects and evaluation of tenders to select coal-fired thermal power plants having high technology, low pollution, avoiding backward technology. That is the most taboo thing! In addition, it is necessary to improve and tighten the licensing of the construction and operation of coal-fired thermal power plants, which require projects must have modern technology and comply with the environmental quality targets.

However, according his view, despite the high technology, it does not change the use of coal fuel. That means, the high technology only increases efficiency, limiting the fuel consumption rate, while the characteristic of using coal fuel is to still emit CO2 and other pollutants into the environment.

Agrees with him, when being questioned about the barriers to restrict low-tech coal-fired power projects, economist Pham Chi Lan knows that, theoretically, there could be a resolution but it is too small compared to the huge spend on coal heat.

Therefore, the prevention of low technology projects depends on the awareness of enterprises, that means, businesses must consider the economic benefits carefully to reach, but they also need to ensure environmental protection.

From the above comments, we can see that putting technical barriers under the management of coal-fired power plants is possible, but these measures do not seem to be enough because of how high the technology is, coal fired power plants still use coal fuel. For that reason, Mr. Due said that the best barrier is still from the power development target in the Power Plan VII, including the adjustment of the structure of coal-fired thermal power, considering that it can be replaced by the other sources is the better.