Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son: Drastic Action Needed for Energy in 2026

Major Power Projects Completed, Contributing to Ensuring National Energy Security

In 2025, many power projects were completed, contributing significantly to ensuring national energy security and providing stable electricity for socio-economic development.

Completion and Commencement of Many Key Projects On January 13, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son chaired a meeting to summarize the work of 2025 and set directions and tasks for 2026 of the State Steering Committee for National Key Programs, Works, and Projects in the Energy Sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son chaired the meeting – Photo: VGP/Hai Minh

The meeting was attended by Acting Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung, leaders of ministries, sectors, corporations that are members of the Steering Committee, and leaders of several relevant localities, participating both in person and online.

2025 Achievements Report: According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the standing agency of the Steering Committee, in 2025, the sector completed and put into operation 8 grid projects and 3 power plants.

Completed Grid Projects:
- 500 kV Monsoon – Thanh My line (section on Vietnamese territory).
- 220 kV Huoi Quang – Nghia Lo line.
- 500 kV Vinh Yen Substation and connecting lines.
- 500 kV Lao Cai Substation.
- 500 kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen line.
- 500 kV line for Nhon Trach 4 Power Plant – branching to Phu My – Nha Be.
- 220 kV line for Nhon Trach 3 Power Plant – branching to My Xuan – Cat Lai.
- Project supplying power from the national grid to Con Dao Special District, Ho Chi Minh City.
Completed Power Plants:
- Hoa Binh Hydropower Extension Plant.
- Nhon Trach 3 Thermal Power Plant.
- Nhon Trach 4 Thermal Power Plant.
Commenced Projects:
- Tri An Hydropower Extension Plant.
- Bac Ai Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant (Phase 2).

Ongoing and Future Projects: Preparations are underway to commence the Quang Trach II LNG project in Q1/2026 and Quang Trach III LNG in Q4/2026. Some projects facing prolonged difficulties and obstacles continue to be implemented, such as Long Phu 1 Thermal Power Plant and O Mon IV Thermal Power Plant.

In the Gas-Power sector, key project chains achieved positive results, including the Block B – O Mon Gas-Power Chain and the project to upgrade and expand Dung Quat Oil Refinery.

Regarding the power grid, in 2025, EVN and its units commenced 215 projects and successfully energized 260 projects, with a total added volume of approximately 27,000 MVA and 3,900 km of transmission lines ranging from 110 kV to 500 kV.

Drastic Action Required for 2026 Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Head of the Steering Committee, acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of ministries, sectors, localities, and corporations (EVN, PVN) in implementing assigned tasks, thereby contributing significantly to ensuring national energy security and stable power supply for socio-economic development in 2025.

Identifying Bottlenecks: However, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that many projects are still behind schedule, from the commencement stage to the implementation process.

Some localities have not proactively resolved obstacles within their authority definitively, especially in site clearance.
Investor selection, capital arrangement, and contract negotiation for many gas power projects remain slow, posing a risk of directly affecting national energy security targets and the investment environment.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that ensuring national energy security in the new period is a strategic, long-term task with special significance for the country’s rapid and sustainable development.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that ensuring national energy security in the new period is a strategic, long-term task of particular importance to the rapid and sustainable development of the country. – Photo: VGP/Hai Minh

Directives for 2026: To overcome existing issues in 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister requested Steering Committee members to continue improving operational efficiency, assigning work with the principle: “Clear person, clear task, clear progress, clear responsibility,” and seriously organizing the implementation of the Steering Committee Head’s conclusions.

Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT):
- Review and list all energy projects, including primary energy projects, private investment projects, and foreign enterprise projects, to urge implementation according to planning.
- Urgently finalize the draft Directive of the Prime Minister on tasks and solutions to ensure sufficient electricity supply for production, business, and public consumption in 2026 and the 2027–2030 period.
Localities:
- Proactively coordinate to handle obstacles.
- Determine land use needs for energy projects and add them to the land use planning to 2030.
- Accelerate the selection of investors and contractors for power source and grid projects that lack investors.
- Site Clearance: Local Party committees and authorities must heighten responsibility in compensation and site clearance, considering this a central political task linked to the responsibility of the head of the agency.
EVN and PVN:
- Focus on completing and putting into operation assigned national key projects on schedule.

Conclusion: Emphasizing that ensuring national energy security is a strategic, long-term mission, the Deputy Prime Minister required that in 2026, ministries, sectors, localities, and investors must act more drastically, more disciplined, and more effectively. The results of implementing key energy projects will be considered an important measure to evaluate the level of political task completion of each agency and unit.