Deputy PM demands precision on fuel storage infrastructure planning
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha had a meeting with the verification council for the draft planning on national petrol, oil, and gas storage and supply infrastructure for 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, in Hanoi on March 30.
Stressing the importance to national energy security, he requested that the planning have high precision and feasibility, match the set tasks and targets, and guarantee active and stable energy supply for the economy.
The official asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the advisory unit to ensure that shortcomings and problems in the existing petrol, oil, and gas storage and supply infrastructure are pointed out and assessed in the draft planning.
He noted some issues in the fuel market in late 2022 and early 2023, and that the planning must take into account demand in reality and be closely connected with the land, environment, transport, and urban planning.
Amid the growing trend of green and renewable energy use, the planning also needs to closely follow the Party and State’s orientation, and facilitate science and technology application and digital transformation. It must also enable the connectivity among production, storage, and selling establishments to ensure supply and demand balance to help connect the country with global renewable energy hubs, Ha said.
The Deputy PM also underlined the necessity for environmental impact to be thoroughly assessed in the planning.
The draft planning sets up detailed targets for petrol, oil, and gas storage and supply infrastructure in the 2021 - 2030 and post-2030 periods, with about VND270 trillion (US$11.5 billion) to be invested in infrastructure development by 2030.
It gives priority to investment in the national storage infrastructure for crude oil and petrol and oil products; large-scale petrol and oil warehouses in the areas of deep-water seaports; integrated petrol, oil, and aviation fuel warehouses in the areas of international airports; and large warehouses for imported liquefied natural gas to ensure supply for gas-fueled thermal plants.
The draft planning also puts forth six groups of measures about mechanisms and policies; investment capital mobilisation; science and technology; environment, fire and explosion prevention; human resources development; and international cooperation.