(VOVworld) – Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang on Wednesday reported on a master plan on hydropower to the National Assembly.

Hoa Binh hydropower plant (Source:skydoor.net)

According to the report, Vietnam now has 268 hydropower projects in operation, and 205 projects under construction which are expected to be in operation by 2017. Reviewing the report on the hydropower master plan, Phan Xuan Dung, Head of the National Assembly Committee for Science, Technology and Environment said that in 2012, hydropower provided approximately 48 percent of Vietnam’s electricity needs and nearly 44 percent of its electricity output. Over the years, hydropower projects have provided water, improved local infrastructure, and generated jobs. But hydropower planning, construction, and utilization have also encountered problems related to the environment, resettlement and the safety of reservoirs. More than 400 small-scale hydropower projects have been abandoned because of low efficiency and negative impacts on the environment and society. Mr. Dung said: "The government needs to work on the planning of the energy sector, including hydropower synchronously. It is necessary to clarify the responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals involved in the removal of hydropower projects which cause wastefulness, violate laws on investment and construction and have negative impacts on people’s daily lives".

The same day, the government submitted to the National Assembly amendments and supplements to a resolution on investment for the construction of the Ho Chi Minh highway. According to the supplements, the length of the highway will increase by 16 kilometers to 3,183 with the starting point in Pac Bo, Cao Bang province and end point at Dat Mui, Ca Mau province, passing through 28 cities and provinces.