Energy production and supply units may be fined up to VND100 million (US$4,800) for administrative violations leading to the waste of energy under a new decree to become effective on October 15.
The highest fine will be applied to units who purposefully do not reject obsolete technology and low-output electricity generators or those who build new generators with obsolete technology.
Decree 73/2011/ND-CP regulates fines on administrative violations relating to economical and effective energy use. It applies to violations of regulations on energy audits, energy labels, production, imports and energy using devices or violations on economical and effective energy use at key energy using units.
“The decree aims to guide the implementation of the law on economical and effective use of energy that came into effect at the beginning of this year,” said deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Science and Technology Department Phuong Hoang Kim.
“It will be a basis … to prevent energy waste.”
Kim said many cement and steel production firms hadn’t paid much attention to energy saving. They had used 10 per cent of the country’s electricity capacity due to their use of superseded technology.
Kim said that in order to save energy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade would introduce policies that limited the production or importation of products with low energy productivity, such as incandescent bulbs, airconditioners and refrigerators.
The ministry would also issue criteria on the effective use of energy and help firms in cement, steel, plastic or thermo-electric fields install new technology and reduce energy waste.
The decree states that violations of energy audit regulations may incur a fine of VND50-70 million ($1,800-$3,400). Administration violations on economical and effective energy use in industrial production, and violations of training and issuing licences of the energy auditor, may incur a fine of VND10-30 million ($480-1,450).
Administrative violations on public lighting and construction may incur a fine of up to VND30 million ($1,450) while energy violations in transportation field may incur up to VND100 million ($4,800).
The decree gives the right to fine to the chief inspector of related ministries or chairmen of communes, districts and provinces.
