Ministry of Industry and Trade approves adjustments to Power Development Plan VIII for Dien Bien Province

16:52, 23/09/2026

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a decision to adjust and update Power Development Plan VIII for Dien Bien Province to ensure infrastructure synchronization and energy security.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Document No. 7522/BCT-DL to the People's Committee of Dien Bien Province on adjusting and updating the National Power Development Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050 (Power Development Plan VIII), specifically for Dien Bien Province. The document, signed and issued by Deputy Minister Truong Thanh Hoai on 19 September 2026, was based on the proposal of the Dien Bien Provincial People’s Committee, the appraisal report of the Electricity Department, and comments from relevant specialized agencies and organizations.

Accordingly, this approval for adjustments and updates is based on National Assembly Resolution No. 253/2025/QH15 regarding mechanisms and policies for national energy development in the 2026–2030 period; Government Decrees No. 272/2026/ND-CP and No. 56/2025/ND-CP; and the Prime Minister's decisions approving Power Development Plan VIII and the implementation plan for Power Development Plan VIII.

Under the approved terms, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has agreed to adjust four major solar power projects in Dien Bien Province into component projects to optimize investment and implementation strategies. The specific project adjustments include:

The 200MW floating solar power project with battery storage on Pa Khoang Lake has been divided into two projects: a 73MW floating solar project with battery storage and a 127MW ground-mounted solar project with battery storage. Both projects are scheduled to be commissioned during the 2026–2030 period. Regarding grid connection, the 73MW floating project will construct a double-circuit 110kV line connecting to the 110kV busbar of the Dien Bien 220kV substation and will expand the substation by two 110kV feeder bays. The 127MW ground-mounted project will connect to the Dien Bien 220 kV Substation via a transmission line shared with the floating project.

The 100 MW floating solar power project on the Trung Thu hydropower reservoir has been divided into two projects: a 72MW floating solar power project and a 28MW ground-mounted solar power project, both scheduled to come into operation during the 2026–2030 period. The 72 MW floating solar power project will involve the construction of a new 35/110kV substation, which will be connected to the existing 110kV transmission line from the Trung Thu Hydropower Plant to the Lai Chau 500/220/110kV Substation through a loop-in/loop-out (LILO) connection. The 28MW ground-mounted project will involve the construction of a transmission line connecting the project to the 35/110kV substation of the floating solar power project.

The 100MW Song Ma 3 Hydropower Reservoir Solar Power Project has been split into the 20MW Song Ma 3 Hydropower Reservoir Solar Power Project (Phase 1) and the 80MW Song Ma 3 Ground-mounted Solar Power Project (Phase 2), both scheduled for operation between 2026 and 2030. Both projects will be connected to the existing 110kV Song Ma 3 – Dien Bien 2 transmission line through a loop-in/loop-out (LILO) connection.

The 150MW Nam Po 1 Solar Power Project has been split into two projects: the 100MW Nam Po 1A Solar Power Project and the 50MW Nam Po 1B Solar Power Project, both scheduled for operation between 2026 and 2030. Regarding the grid connection, the Nam Po 1A project will involve the construction of a new 220kV Dien Bien 1 Substation with a capacity of 2 × 250 MVA, together with a 220kV transmission line connecting the substation to the 500kV Lai Chau Substation. The Nam Po 1B project will connect directly to the busbar of the Dien Bien 1 Substation.

In addition to approving the project adjustments, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has requested the Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to review the connection plans for the Envision Nam Po and Envision Nam Po 2 wind power projects.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized that the Dien Bien Provincial People’s Committee shall bear full legal responsibility for the accuracy of the dossier for the updated and revised Power Development Plan report. The local authorities must ensure effective coordination between power generation projects and the province’s technical infrastructure system, while avoiding overlaps with other relevant plans. At the same time, the Dien Bien Provincial People’s Committee is responsible for urging and directing project investors to implement the projects in accordance with the schedules approved in the plan.