At the Conference on “Improving Regulations, Technical Standards, and Economic-Technical Norms in the Environmental Sector,” co-organized on August 29 by the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Mr. Nguyễn Anh Tuấn – President and CEO of EVN – emphasized that coal-fired power remains a backbone of Vietnam’s power mix, with a total installed capacity of about 28,227MW, nearly one-third of the national system. Of this, EVN’s coal-fired plants contribute 12,672MW (14.5% of the system), notably with major thermal power centers such as Duyen Hai and Vinh Tan. Many EVN plants have already adopted supercritical and ultra-supercritical (USC) technologies. In particular, this year, Quang Trach I Thermal Power Plant will officially commence operation with USC technology – a significant milestone in technology innovation, emission reduction, minimizing ash and slag, and environmental protection.

EVN President and CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan speaking at conference

Coal-fired power ash and slag have now become vital input materials for cement, unbaked bricks, concrete, mineral additives, and construction backfilling. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, EVN’s thermal power plants generated 4.57 million tons of ash and slag. Still, they managed to consume 5.31 million tons, reducing residual stockpiles to around 16 million tons – below the average annual generation of the past two years.

The EVN President and CEO emphasized, “From being viewed as waste that posed an environmental burden, ash and slag have now become valuable resources for the construction and infrastructure sectors. This is a clear demonstration of EVN’s commitment to turning challenges into opportunities, promoting circular economy principles, and aligning power development with environmental protection and sustainable growth.”

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan also made several recommendations to the National Assembly, the Government, and relevant ministries/agencies, including: further completing and harmonizing the system of regulations, technical standards, and economic-technical norms, to ensure alignment with reality and international practices; issuing stronger policies to incentivize the use of ash and slag in infrastructure projects, particularly in transportation and landfilling; introducing support mechanisms for enterprises in research, technology investment, treatment, and reuse of ash and slag; and fostering a stable, sustainable consumption market.

The EVN President and CEO affirmed, “EVN is always ready to work in close partnership with regulatory bodies, the business community, and the scientific sector in researching, proposing, and implementing solutions. We believe that, with coordinated efforts, ash and slag will truly become valuable resources that contribute to the nation’s sustainable development.”

Translator: Thanh Hải