Why Quảng Ninh thermal power plant continues operations despite wastewater discharge violations

Despite being identified as violating wastewater discharge, the Quảng Ninh Thermal Power Plant continues to operate to ensure energy security and maintain the safety of the national power grid.

At the end of March 2026, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security announced the indictment and remand of Le Việt Cường, a member of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Director of the Quảng Ninh Thermal Power Joint Stock Company, on the charge of “fabricating documents of agencies and organizations.” Investigators also charged Nguyễn Văn Trung, Deputy Manager of the operation workshop of the monitoring station, and Lương Công Bính, a technician in the Technical and Safety Department, with the same offense.

Allegations involving emission monitoring data

According to the police, the company had three emission monitoring stations. Investigators said the defendants used software to manipulate the data, reducing air emission indices to half or one third, so that when the information was transmitted to environmental management authorities it would consistently meet the required thresholds.

Plant operations continue

Although the plant was identified as violating discharge requirements, reporting from VTC News said the plant’s units in Cao Xanh ward, Quảng Ninh province have continued operating normally since Cường’s arrest. Near the plant area, two chimneys about 200 meters tall were reported to emit smoke and ash steadily.

Oversight and inspection responsibilities

Regarding oversight of the plant, Nguyễn Thành Long, Deputy Head of the Environmental Monitoring unit under the Environmental Protection Department of the Quảng Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the plant will be subject to annual inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. To avoid overlap, provincial agencies would not conduct separate inspections.

In 2024 and 2025, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), together with the Environmental Crime Investigation Department (C05) of the Ministry of Public Security, also took samples and inspected the plant’s discharges.

Mr. Long said local authorities typically inspect only when there is specific feedback from residents about pollution. He added that since 2023 there have been no complaints about the plant’s discharges.

Why the plant has not been stopped

Mr. Long said the reason the plant continues operating despite discharge violations is a conflict between environmental protection responsibilities and ensuring national energy security.

Under regulations, when signs of discharge violations are detected, investigators can request the plant to cease operations. However, Mr. Long said that in practice the plant cannot be stopped because doing so would overload the national electrical system and cause large economic damage.

He also said he had suggested to investigators that, in such cases, there should be a written order to stop immediately to end the violation as required by law, but that stopping requires consideration of many factors.

Further details in the source material describe an upgrade project and financing, including a plan to invest over 3,850 billion VND after tax and to complete the project by 2027, along with the ongoing process to obtain approvals from relevant authorities.