Brian Jeffrey
On July 14, MOIT clarified its position following a directive from the Government Office. The ministry convened a meeting with the participation of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Finance (MOF), and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) at its headquarters.
MOIT presented and elaborated on the instructions outlined in the directive from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. Subsequently, a document was issued to elucidate Ha’s directive, emphasizing the need to pilot a policy that allows owners of rooftop solar power systems to sell surplus electricity to the national grid, not exceeding 10 percent of total capacity.
In response to EVN’s input, MOIT proposed three mechanisms to determine the volume of excess electricity for sale to the grid. The ministry is leaning towards Option 2, which it believes will foster solar power development, reduce investment costs, and prevent resource wastage.
Regarding the pricing of excess electricity, MOIT explored three options and found that all would result in a similar rate of VND600-700 per kilowatt-hour. Option 3 emerged as the preferred choice due to its simplicity, ease of implementation, and cost-saving potential for EVN.
MOIT recommended a selling price of VND671/kwh based on EVN’s calculations, taking into account average avoidable costs in 2023. The draft decree submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister outlines EVN’s responsibility in purchasing excess electricity, ensuring network safety, and facilitating a smooth operational mechanism. Necessary precautions are incorporated in the draft to prevent misconduct, misappropriation, and resource misuse.
Following discussions with EVN, it was agreed that the excess electricity from rooftop solar systems would be purchased and integrated into the national grid. The draft decree has been finalized with proposed options based on the accumulated insights from various stakeholders.
MOIT affirmed its adherence to government directives in formulating policies related to self-sufficient rooftop solar power development. The ministry dismissed claims of inconsistency in policy design as biased and unfounded.
