Vietnam: Hydropower planning must contain the order of priority of construction projects

Vietnam: Hydropower planning must contain the order of priority of construction projects (Internet image) 

Article 6 of Circular 43/2012/TT-BCT stipulates the content of the cascade hydropower planning and small hydropower planning in Vietnam shall comply with Annex 1 issued together with this Circular and must ensure the following requirements:

- Updating the planning, direction of socio-economic development of project area; present condition and planning of relevant projects of extraction and use of water resources in the basin approved by the competent authority.

- Fully investigating, surveying and assessing the natural conditions (topography, geology, meteorology, hydrology, tectonic earthquake), people’s livelihood, economy and society, transport, power grid works ... in the planning study area.

- Assessing the conformity and impact of the hydropower projects proposed planning and other related projects in the basin.

- Studying the plans, schemes and scale of extraction; evaluating the economic and energy efficiency of the proposed projects to recommend the planning scheme.

- Assessing the strategic environment under the provisions of Decree 29/2011/ND-CP of April 18, 2011 of the Government on assessment of strategic environment and environmental impact and environmental protection commitment (Decree 29/2011/ND-CP).

- Surveying and preliminarily assessing the impact of the projects with proposed planning for population, land, extraction and use of water needs in the lowlands. Except for multi-purpose hydropower projects, other projects with proposed planning must not occupy more than 10 hectares of land of various types or relocate more than 01 households with 01 MW installed capacity.

- Preliminary assessing and proposing solutions to minimize the negative impact of the project on the environment – society such as minimally discharging of flow to lowlands; compensation, support, relocation and resettlement; plantation to recover forest area for converted purpose use of the projects.

- Priority is given to construction projects proposed on the basis of technical and economic indicators and the socio-environmental impact of each project.

More details can be found in Circular 43/2012/TT-BCT of Vietnam, which comes into force from February 10, 2013.

Le Vy

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