VIETNAM Law and Practice Contributed by: Adam Moncrieff and Thuy Huynh, Orrick
of the concession period which were clear and ena- bled relevant parties to be able to achieve orderly and well-coordinated hand-overs. Similar to many countries, decommissioning renewa- ble electricity generation (other than hydropower) and storage facilities is not specifically prescribed for in Vietnam to any great extent. Solar projects raise panel recycling and land restoration issues. Wind projects raise turbine and foundation removal issues. Battery systems raise hazardous waste and fire-related dis- posal issues. Offshore wind and nuclear, if developed at scale, will require more tailored end-of-life rules than the current framework provides. As of mid-2026, there are few privately operated generation projects (other than under the previous BOT scheme – please see above – and some hydropower projects) that are at the end of their concession or operational lives, so the issues are yet to arise much in practice. 4. Transmission Lines and Associated Facilities 4.1 Constructing and Operating Transmission Lines and Associated Facilities Transmission remains the most state-controlled part of Vietnam’s power industry. EVNNPT continues to function as the backbone national transmission owner and operator, and the legal framework still treats the high-voltage grid as strategic infrastructure. This is a fundamental feature of Vietnam. Private capital may help generation to scale up, but the national transmis- sion system remains firmly tied to public control and operation. Relevant laws include the 2024 Electricity Law, the construction and land regimes, environmental legis- lation, grid technical codes and the wider planning framework. Where storage is connected at trans- mission level or where private wire arrangements are developed for direct power supply, the picture becomes more nuanced. Even then, however, those private arrangements do not displace the state’s cen- tral role in the public grid. They exist alongside it. Environmental review is generally required for major transmission works. Long routes, substations, for-
est areas, sensitive land use and populated corridors can all trigger substantial environmental and social issues, including in relation to resettlement. In prac- tice, transmission development is often slowed less by pure engineering difficulty than by route approvals, land clearance, resettlement issues, and co-ordination across multiple districts and provinces. This is one reason why transmission has become such a strategic bottleneck in Vietnam’s energy transition. 4.2 Obtaining Approvals to Construct and Operate Transmission Lines and Associated Facilities Although transmission licences and non-state-built transmission assets are recognised in the legal frame- work, this should not be read as an open private trans- mission market. For ordinary public transmission, the system remains centred on EVNNPT, state planning and centralised grid operation. The approvals process for transmission projects resembles other large infrastructure pathways but has its own practical sensitivities. Planning inclusion is critical, because the route and voltage level must fit the broader grid development programme. The pro- ject then typically moves through investment approval, land and route approvals, environmental assessment, construction approvals, technical design review and operational acceptance. If the asset is to be operated as part of the electricity system, licensing and opera- tional co-ordination requirements also apply. Public input is usually channelled through the envi- ronmental and land procedures rather than through an electricity-specific hearing process. Transmission routes can affect many land users without necessarily taking all of their land outright, so corridor restrictions and safety clearances become central issues. That often produces a wider social footprint than a com- pact thermal or solar site. A developer or state entity may therefore face extensive local engagement even where the formal legal steps look familiar. Private wire projects under the DPPA model introduce a slightly different approval process. The key ques- tions become where the private network starts and ends, who owns and operates it, how it interfaces with the public system and which approvals apply to
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