Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant still operates despite being requested to be suspended for 1 year

Recently, Pha Lai Thermal Power Joint Stock Company (Pha Lai Ward, Chi Linh City, Hai Duong Province) was fined nearly 4 billion VND by the Department of Environmental Crime Prevention and Control (C05) of the Ministry of Public Security for violating the emission of dust and exhaust gas containing common environmental parameters exceeding the waste standards at chimney No. 1.

Along with the administrative penalty, the above unit also issued an additional penalty decision to suspend the operation of Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant for 12 months. C05 has sent this decision to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (TN-MT) to preside over the organization of the additional penalty.

However, after being fined and requested by C05 to stop operations, Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant continued to maintain many items and continue to generate electricity to supply to customers.

The 40-year-old production line is no longer suitable for new environmental standards. (Photo: Thu Hang).

Mr. Dang Kien Quyet, Deputy General Director of Pha Lai Thermal Power Joint Stock Company, confirmed to PV. VietNamNet that it is true that the plant has not completely stopped operating. The unit is still operating some units at two production lines, continuing to generate electricity.

According to Mr. Quyet, at the factory, line I has 4 units, 3 of which have stopped and 1 unit is running. Line II has 2 units and is also running 1 unit.

“Line I violated environmental regulations on dust and gas emissions; while Line II only violated gas emissions. Violations in any field will be handled in that field. We have temporarily stopped any generators that have not met environmental standards for repair. The factory has allowed any generators that are in good condition to operate to ensure electricity supply.

Not to mention we cannot stop completely because we have to maintain the furnace. If we close the furnace, it will have huge consequences," said Mr. Quyet.

In response to the environmental violations pointed out by C05, Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant has paid nearly 4 billion VND in administrative fines. As for the additional penalty of suspending operations for 12 months, the unit is still waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the competent authorities of Hai Duong province.

The company is still operating to ensure national electricity security. (Photo: Thu Hang).

According to Mr. Quyet, up to now, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Hai Duong province have not yet issued an official document requesting the factory to close for 12 months as requested by C05. Therefore, the factory must still maintain operations with generators that have been environmentally repaired to help solve the difficulty of power shortage.

Mr. Quyet explained that Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant is a very important node of the Northern power system. Stopping the entire operation of the company will affect national energy security.

That is also the reason why the ministry and province are still considering and calculating whether to require the factory to stop operating for 12 months as the police's viewpoint or not.

Previously, on July 10, Pha Lai Thermal Power Joint Stock Company was cited by C05 for a series of environmental violations. Specifically, total dust exceeded 3.35 times, SO2 exceeded 2.37 times, NOx exceeded 1.11 times with a flow rate of 167,949 m3/hour.

At the same time, the exhaust gas contains parameters that normally exceed the technical standards for waste at the chimney of line II. Specifically, SO2 exceeds 2.58 times, NOx exceeds 1.34 times with a flow rate of 331,700 m3/hour.

Pha Lai Thermal Power Plant was fined and had to pay nearly 40 billion VND in taxes.

Hai Duong Provincial Tax Department has just fined Pha Lai Thermal Power Joint Stock Company nearly 40 billion VND for administrative violations of tax.

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