Who is electricity inspector? Standards of Electricity inspectors in Vietnam

Who is electricity inspector? Standards of electricity inspectors in Vietnam (Internet image)

The Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam promulgates Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT dated December 30, 2022 on inspection of electricity operations and use and settlement of disputes pertaining to power purchase agreement.

1. Who is electricity inspector?

According to Clause 2, Article 3 of Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT, electricity inspector refers to an individual affiliated to transmission system operator, distribution system operator, electricity wholesaler, or electricity retailer who has been trained and obtained Electricity inspector card in accordance with Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT.

2. Standards of Electricity inspectors in Vietnam

Specifically, in Article 5 of Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT, electricity inspectors must:

- Have intermediate level or higher in the field of electricity or be electrical engineering technical at level 5/7 or higher; and

- Have spent at least 3 years managing transmission electrical grid, distribution electrical grid in regard to Electricity inspectors of TSOs, DSOs respectively; have spent at least 3 years working in electricity trading in regard to Electricity inspectors of electricity wholesalers, electricity retailers; and

- Have received training regarding regulations on electricity operations, electricity use, and safety assurance of electric utilities and electrical grid, standards, procedures, regulations pertaining to electrical engineering, electrical safety, and passed exam; and

- Be capable of researching, detecting, analyzing, consolidating, and proposing solutions depending on the type of inspection; and

- Have sufficient health, moral virtues, sense of responsibility, honesty, transparency, and fairness; and

- Have not been met with criminal prosecutions or have had their criminal records expunged; have not been met with administrative penalties in the field of electricity or have been considered to have not met with administrative penalties in the field of electricity in accordance with Article 7 of the Law on Administrative Penalties 2012 (amended in 2020).

3. Tasks and powers of Electricity inspector in Vietnam

Electricity inspectors in Vietnam shall exercise their tasks and powers within the field of operation of their units as follows

- Tasks and powers of Electricity inspectors affiliated to TSOs, DSOs:

+ Inspect compliance with regulations pertaining to safety assurance of electric utilities and electrical grids;

+ Examine and promptly prevent electrical safety violations under Article 7 of the Law on Electricity;

+ Promptly inform entities managing electricity transmission grids, distribution grids upon discovering risk to human lives and safety of equipment;

+ Produce Inspection records using forms under Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT after inspecting safety assurance of electric utilities and electrical grids, except for cases under Point dd of this Clause;

+ Electricity inspectors shall not produce Inspection record if no violation is found but instead log inspection details and contents on management system of electricity units.

- Tasks and powers of Electricity inspectors of electricity wholesalers, electricity retailers

(i) Inspect execution of PPAs of electricity users;

(ii) Inspect electrical safety of electricity users;

(iii) Inspect the suspension of electricity use, reduction of electricity consumption of electricity users;

(iv) Inspect and promptly prevent prohibited acts in electricity use under Article 7 of the Law on Electricity;

(v) Request electricity users to suspend electricity use or reduce electricity consumption in case of risk to human lives and safety of equipment;

(vi) Request electricity users to provide necessary information and documents for the purpose of inspection;

(vii) Produce Inspection log of electricity use using forms under Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT when inspecting details mentioned under (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), except for cases under (viii);

(viii) Electricity inspectors shall not produce Inspection log of electricity use using forms under Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT if no violation is found but instead log inspection contents and results on management system of electricity units.

(Article 4 of Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT)

Circular 42/2022/TT-BCT takes effect from February 16, 2023.

Thanh Rin

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