Society
Solar power investment rush poses an overload risk
The investment rush in solar energy could end up testing Vietnam’s weak power infrastructure, experts say.
They say that both transmission capacity and the ability of grids to absorb the energy produced by new projects are suspect, as of now.
The 9.35 U.S. cents per kWh Feed in Tariff (FIT) for solar power in Vietnam has sparked an investment rush.
The latest project to be completed is the 49MW Krong Pa plant in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. It began operations last week.
Workers check solar panels of a project in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Annie Le
The investor, TTC Group, a corporation that invests in real estate, energy and education projects, has 19 other solar power projects underway.
Other corporations have also been rolling out ambitious plans. The Xuan Cau Group plans to invest in a 2,000MW solar power project in southern Tay Ninh Province, while the Xuan Thien Corporation plans a 3,000MW project in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.
September statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that 121 solar power projects been approved, which are expected to add 6,100 MW of output by 2020 and another 7,200 MW by 2030.
Of these, 25 have signed power purchase agreements with Vietnam’s biggest power producer and sole distributor, Vietnam Electricity (EVN).
In addition, another 221 projects await authorization, with a combined 13,000 MW of potential output.
At this rate, the combined solar power output would accounts for 60 percent of Vietnam’s total output from all power sources kinds of power. It also far exceeds the country’s plan for solar energy output of 850MW by 2020, and 4,000 MW in the 4 following years.
“There is an investment boom in solar power projects, but this is not good,” said Toby Couture, an expert of the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
He said authorities should come up with a balanced forecasting framework, rather than letting the market overheat.
On top of the race to get projects completed before June 30, 2019 to enjoy the preferential FIT, the explosion of investment in solar power is also raising concerns over overloading of the power grid once the projects become operational.
According to Vu Ngoc Duc of the Energy Institute under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the fact that most projects are concentrated in central provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, and Dak Lak carries the risk of overloading the current power grid.
Power plants cannot be plugged in without considering the capacity of each power transmission line, he said.
Dinh Quang Tri, acting general director of EVN, admitted that 9.5 cents a kWh was still cheaper than electricity from oil, but the main problems the utility faces are infrastructural.
Central Vietnam has relatively weak electricity infrastructure because of low consumption, but it is where the new renewable energy projects will be concentrated, he said.
“The lines cannot take thousands of megawatts at the same time,” said Tri, adding that EVN had petitioned the government to plan and approve additional transmission lines.
However, the procedures for planning, land clearance and construction will take a long time, so the existing grid will not be able to keep up with capacity of new solar plants.
“This is a huge challenge. If we don’t purchase electricity from these solar plants, there will be a shortage. But if these projects are completed too quickly, the grid will not be able to load it all,” Tri said.
He said that to avoid overloading the transmission grid, the Government should promote household solar panels, suitable for the low voltage grid, so that no additional investment into the transmission grid is required.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An told the press recently that the ministry was directing the re-planning of local and national power development. It is assigning grid development units the task of resolving infrastructural bottlenecks to support approved solar power projects, he added.
Solar power currently accounts for just 0.01 percent of the country’s total power output, but the government plans to increase the ratio to 3.3 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2050.
A Vietnamese married couple had their scooter seized by police officers and will face punishment for performing acrobatics while riding at a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam.
Police officers in Phu Loc District, central Thua Thien-Hue Province said on Monday afternoon that they determined the couple in question include Nguyen The A., 35, and Nguyen Thi Kim Ng., 24, both of whom are local residents.
A 30-second video capturing A. and Ng.’s daredevil stunts circulated on social media on Sunday.
|
|
| This supplied photo shows Nguyen Thi Kim Ng.’s scooter being seized by police officers in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. |
In the video, Ng. carried A. on the scooter while both were not wearing helmets at a double-hairpin bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass, which connects Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang City.
Then, A., from the passenger seat, leaned forward and held the handlebars to steer the scooter while his left leg was still left in the footrest for the back seat and the right leg was stretched out on the vehicle.
At that time, there were many vehicles running on Hai Van Mountain Pass, with some motorcyclists worried about the couple’s performance and pulling over to the side of the road for their safety.
|
|
| A bird’s-eye view of a dangerous bend where reckless riders often show off their riding skills on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The video drew the attention of police officers and prompted an investigation, which resulted in Phu Loc District officers’ summoning A. and Ng. to the police station.
According to their testimony, A. and Ng. are husband and wife and the scooter with the plate number 75K1-510.16 they used in the video is registered to Ng. at the district’s police office.
The couple performed the acrobatics after they and a group of friends had just returned from bathing in a stream near Hai Van Mountain Pass.
|
|
| A young man shows off his skill of steering a motorbike with no hands at the slope of a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The incident was recorded by a person at the site and posted on social media.
Phu Loc police officers seized Ng.’s scooter and handed the case over to their colleagues in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District, where the bend is located, to handle the couple in accordance with the law for their dangerous and unsafe behavior on the street.
The 24km scenic and twisty road of Hai Van Mountain Pass is always a favorite of motorbike adventurers, with many reckless riders often showing off their riding skills there.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A Vietnamese married couple had their scooter seized by police officers and will face punishment for performing acrobatics while riding at a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam.
Police officers in Phu Loc District, central Thua Thien-Hue Province said on Monday afternoon that they determined the couple in question include Nguyen The A., 35, and Nguyen Thi Kim Ng., 24, both of whom are local residents.
A 30-second video capturing A. and Ng.’s daredevil stunts circulated on social media on Sunday.
|
|
| This supplied photo shows Nguyen Thi Kim Ng.’s scooter being seized by police officers in Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam. |
In the video, Ng. carried A. on the scooter while both were not wearing helmets at a double-hairpin bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass, which connects Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang City.
Then, A., from the passenger seat, leaned forward and held the handlebars to steer the scooter while his left leg was still left in the footrest for the back seat and the right leg was stretched out on the vehicle.
At that time, there were many vehicles running on Hai Van Mountain Pass, with some motorcyclists worried about the couple’s performance and pulling over to the side of the road for their safety.
|
|
| A bird’s-eye view of a dangerous bend where reckless riders often show off their riding skills on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The video drew the attention of police officers and prompted an investigation, which resulted in Phu Loc District officers’ summoning A. and Ng. to the police station.
According to their testimony, A. and Ng. are husband and wife and the scooter with the plate number 75K1-510.16 they used in the video is registered to Ng. at the district’s police office.
The couple performed the acrobatics after they and a group of friends had just returned from bathing in a stream near Hai Van Mountain Pass.
|
|
| A young man shows off his skill of steering a motorbike with no hands at the slope of a dangerous bend on Hai Van Mountain Pass in central Vietnam. Photo: T. Tri / Tien Phong |
The incident was recorded by a person at the site and posted on social media.
Phu Loc police officers seized Ng.’s scooter and handed the case over to their colleagues in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District, where the bend is located, to handle the couple in accordance with the law for their dangerous and unsafe behavior on the street.
The 24km scenic and twisty road of Hai Van Mountain Pass is always a favorite of motorbike adventurers, with many reckless riders often showing off their riding skills there.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230321/vietnamese-couple-cited-for-performing-scooter-stunts-on-mountain-pass/72186.html
The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million.
Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city.
At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters.
|
|
| A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established.
Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench.
In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a plastic bag.
|
|
| A urinal is sealed with a plastic bag inside a public toilet in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The handle to flush the toilet was missing and the hand wash basin was not working.
After using the toilet, people have to use a bucket to pour water into it.
Despite all of those problems, toilet users are expected to give an employee stationed there from VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND5,000 ($0.21) after every use.
|
|
| A man relieves himself outside a public toilet at My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The Tien Phong reporters witnessed the same situation at another public toilet along Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District.
“This toilet is completely free, users don’t have to pay anything,” said Lieu, a sanitation worker there.
On the same street, a different public toilet designed with four stalls was closed on Sunday afternoon.
|
|
| A public toilet on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
According to a staff member, the toilet has just been repaired and cannot be used yet.
“There are really very few public toilets around this large West Lake,” said Nguyen Anh Minh after using a public toilet near the lake.
“I had to go a long way before finding one here, but its quality is very poor as the inside is smelly and dirty.
|
|
| A public toilet is closed on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“I was reluctant to use it but I had no choice.
“After using it, I think I feel sick.”
As counted by Tien Phong, there are only two public toilets around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, insufficient for the large number of visitors to the top tourist attraction in the capital city.
|
|
| A public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The outside of those two public toilets looked quite modern and new, but the inside smelled strongly and one of the doors was also broken.
People often have to get in line for their turn to use the restrooms.
“I find the smell here unpleasant and the number of people with demand are high,” said Hoang Hai Yen, 21.
|
|
| A door is broken at a public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“Every time I step into similar public toilets across Hanoi, I feel disgusted.
“I hope Hanoi will build more public toilets in tourist destinations for residents and tourists to use.
“Moreover, public toilets need to be deodorized and cleaned more often.”
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million.
Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city.
At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper reporters.
|
|
| A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established.
Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench.
In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a plastic bag.
|
|
| A urinal is sealed with a plastic bag inside a public toilet in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The handle to flush the toilet was missing and the hand wash basin was not working.
After using the toilet, people have to use a bucket to pour water into it.
Despite all of those problems, toilet users are expected to give an employee stationed there from VND3,000 (US$0.13) to VND5,000 ($0.21) after every use.
|
|
| A man relieves himself outside a public toilet at My Dinh Bus Station in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The Tien Phong reporters witnessed the same situation at another public toilet along Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District.
“This toilet is completely free, users don’t have to pay anything,” said Lieu, a sanitation worker there.
On the same street, a different public toilet designed with four stalls was closed on Sunday afternoon.
|
|
| A public toilet on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
According to a staff member, the toilet has just been repaired and cannot be used yet.
“There are really very few public toilets around this large West Lake,” said Nguyen Anh Minh after using a public toilet near the lake.
“I had to go a long way before finding one here, but its quality is very poor as the inside is smelly and dirty.
|
|
| A public toilet is closed on Trich Sai Street in Tay Ho District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“I was reluctant to use it but I had no choice.
“After using it, I think I feel sick.”
As counted by Tien Phong, there are only two public toilets around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, insufficient for the large number of visitors to the top tourist attraction in the capital city.
|
|
| A public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
The outside of those two public toilets looked quite modern and new, but the inside smelled strongly and one of the doors was also broken.
People often have to get in line for their turn to use the restrooms.
“I find the smell here unpleasant and the number of people with demand are high,” said Hoang Hai Yen, 21.
|
|
| A door is broken at a public toilet around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tien Phong |
“Every time I step into similar public toilets across Hanoi, I feel disgusted.
“I hope Hanoi will build more public toilets in tourist destinations for residents and tourists to use.
“Moreover, public toilets need to be deodorized and cleaned more often.”
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20230321/public-toilets-cause-for-concern-in-hanoi/72172.html
Travel demand to surge during coming holidays
CapitaLand Ascott’s gross profit in Vietnam up 31% to $10 mln in 2022
Heatwave to hit north-central, northern Vietnam this week
Bamboo Airways has new investor
Let’s switch off lights for Earth Hour in Vietnam!
Việt Nam shocks Australia in U20 Asian Cup opening game
Fire at Indonesia’s Pertamina fuel storage station kills 17
Phan Anh Tuấn introduces Vietnamese culture at Bangkok Design Week 2023
Film week to celebrate 80th anniversary of Party’s first platform on culture
WBA Asia champions Toàn, Hoàng to defend belts next month
First Vietnamese representative at a Winter Olympic
Da Nang museums attracting domestic visitors with free entry policy
Nom, nom, Việt Nam – Episode 76: Fried cheese sticks
In Sa Pa, ethnic children forced to peddle on streets in bitterly cold night
Nom, nom, Việt Nam – Episode 74: Huế beef noodle soup
-
Your Vietnam1 week agoCalifornia Fitness brings transformation challenge back to Việt Nam
-
International2 weeks agoShetland sanctuary fights to save seals as pollution takes toll
-
Entertainment-Sports1 week agoThe Local Game:I love to say I told you so
-
Entertainment-Sports2 weeks agoDiva Hồng Nhung hosts concert commemorating songwriter Sơn
-
Business2 weeks agoVietnam’s Premier Tells Central Bank to Review Property Loans
-
Business2 weeks agoMasan announces new $650 mln syndicated loan
-
Travel2 weeks agoQuang Ninh province boosts tourism development with new sites and tours
-
Entertainment-Sports2 weeks agoVietnamese music crosses the border to go viral