Receiving and working with the delegation were Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; along with leaders of several provincial departments, agencies, and relevant enterprises.

According to the revised Power Development Plan VIII, Son La province is planned to develop a total capacity of 7,785.4 MW. Of this, an additional 6,273.2 MW is scheduled to be developed by 2030, including diverse renewable energy sources such as small hydropower, wind power, pumped-storage hydropower, biomass energy, rooftop solar power, large-scale solar power, and waste-to-energy. Immediately after the revised plan was approved by the Prime Minister, Son La assigned specific tasks to departments, agencies, units, Son La Power Company, and Northwest Power Transmission No. 2 to effectively mobilise resources and encourage participation from all economic sectors to develop the power sector in accordance with the approved plans.

Regarding small hydropower, 14 out of 17 projects have been approved in principle; among them, one has begun power generation, nine are under construction, four are completing procedures, and the remaining are in the investment preparation stage. For the power grid, the province is planned to have three substations and four transmission lines at 500 kV, and 11 substations and 14 transmission lines at 220 kV. Key projects such as Son La 1 500 kV Substation and its transmission line, and the Son La 1 – Son Tay 500 kV transmission line have been given in-principle approval.

The implementation of PDP VIII in Son La has faced many challenges due to mountainous terrain, which complicates construction and site clearance, thereby increasing investment costs. Additionally, the existing power grid is under significant pressure: 500 kV substations and transmission lines are operating at up to 95% capacity; 220 kV systems at around 75–80%; and 110 kV lines at over 80%. Meanwhile, delays in transmission projects pose a risk of being unable to evacuate capacity from new power sources. Many renewable energy projects are also progressing slowly, affecting the timeline for achieving targets by 2030.

Son La province proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) prioritise investment in transmission infrastructure to ensure capacity evacuation and maintain safe, stable operation of the power system in the coming period. Enterprises also recommended that ministries, sectors, and local authorities support the acceleration of investment approval procedures and proactively develop solutions for capacity evacuation for new projects. Additionally, they propose facilitating the installation of hydrometeorological monitoring systems in the province and surrounding areas to improve forecasting capacity and operational efficiency.

Speaking at the working session, Deputy Minister Long noted that Son La has significant potential for developing various types of energy, especially renewable energy, thanks to its natural conditions, land availability, and development potential. He urged the province to focus on implementing projects under the approved PDP VIII, prioritise highly feasible projects, accelerate site clearance for key grid infrastructure, and strengthen coordination with ministries and sectors to resolve difficulties related to mechanisms and policies, thereby speeding up project implementation. He also stressed that power generation development must go hand in hand with investment in transmission infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient system operation, contributing to sustainable energy transition and socio-economic development in the coming period.

On behalf of Son La province, Chairman Viet expressed gratitude for the support and cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam Electricity in implementing PDP VIII to meet current electricity demand. He affirmed that Son La is committed to continuing its efforts to effectively implement projects under the plan and hopes that the ministry and EVN will continue to support the province in deploying planned power projects, contributing positively to local economic growth and ensuring national energy security.