09/24/2024 06:59

Proposal to adjust energy usage levels of key energy-using facilities. (Illustration photo: TCCT).

(PLVN) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade is drafting a dossier proposing the development of a Law amending and supplementing the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy (hereinafter referred to as the draft). Accordingly, the draft amends regulations on energy audits for key energy-using establishments; adds mandatory criteria for economical and efficient use of energy (E&E) for state-funded investment projects...

Supplementing the Energy Saving Fund model

According to the assessment of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, after more than 13 years of implementation, many difficulties and problems have been revealed that need to be resolved, and research is needed to amend and supplement a number of contents stipulated in the Law on the Use of Natural Resources and Energy and related laws. Specifically, many contents stipulated in the Law are still encouraging, the enforcement mechanism and sanctions for violations are not strong enough; the implementation of the Law still has many shortcomings and limitations.

In addition, many incentive and incentive mechanisms and policies in the field of using renewable energy and energy efficiency stipulated in the Law are still lacking, leading to a lack of guidance and specific regulations in sub-law documents for application in the fields of energy use. The Law also does not stipulate the form of activities and solutions to promote the market of energy saving services.

Energy auditing activities have the phenomenon of unfair competition, the quality of energy auditing is still low, there is no independent agency to inspect the quality of energy auditing and energy consulting services. In particular, there is no legal framework for developing the energy efficiency market through the mechanism of implementing energy efficiency contracts according to the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model.

Notably, in the draft, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has added the Energy Efficiency Fund model to support the activities of energy service companies, research financial instruments such as capital guarantees, risk sharing, technical support for businesses to implement; Research and propose financial instruments to support investment capital arrangement activities, profit sharing, investment risks, capital mobilization mechanisms; Provide capital and technical assistance through ESCO for energy efficiency projects that are financially feasible but lack initial capital and are looking for preferential capital sources, promote energy efficiency investment...

In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also proposed to consider adjusting the energy consumption level for current key energy-using establishments in the industrial and civil construction sectors; supplement specific regulations on the obligation to implement the provisions of the Law for key energy-using establishments to suit the current situation; Provide more detailed (mandatory) regulations on the development and application of energy management models at key energy-using establishments in the industrial, construction and transportation sectors; Strengthen local responsibilities in checking compliance with standards, regulations and energy consumption norms of local enterprises.

There should be specific sanctions on energy use.

Mr. Pham Van Hoa - National Assembly Delegation of Dong Thap province assessed that currently, Vietnam still does not produce enough energy to supply for production, business and consumption activities. Meanwhile, in the recent past, the law on the use of energy efficiency "only calls for and encourages on regulations and on paper, but there is no specific sanction for agencies and units that use a lot of energy". Therefore, it is necessary to review carefully so that the use of energy efficiency must be thoroughly implemented in agencies, organizations and enterprises, in which, there must be specific regulations on energy use in state agencies and enterprises to consume energy effectively.

Mr. Chu Ba Thi - Senior Energy Expert of the World Bank said that in the context of Vietnam's commitment to zero net emissions by 2050, energy conservation (along with renewable energy) plays a very important role in achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Meanwhile, the Law and sub-law documents on related issues currently have many limitations, so implementation is only at the level of encouragement and voluntariness. That is the reason why the implementation results of using energy efficiently and effectively are not high.

Mr. Thi said that international experience shows that in addition to supporting businesses to comply with the law, the State also needs to require businesses to have a specific roadmap and clear action plan in managing and implementing energy saving solutions as well as technological innovation to achieve the set goals. If within a certain period of time, businesses still do not comply with regulations on energy saving and efficiency, they will be dealt with by strong sanctions and may lead to closure.