Circular No. 31/2019/TT-BCT amends and supplements certain Articles of Circular No. 28/2014/TT-BCT dated September 15, 2014, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for handling incidents in the national power system, Circular No. 40/2014/TT-BCT dated November 5, 2014, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for dispatching the national power system, and Circular No. 44/2014/TT-BCT dated November 28, 2014, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for operating the national power system.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 28/2014/TT-BCT dated September 15, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for handling incidents in the national power system, Circular No. 40/2014/TT-BCT dated November 5, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for dispatching the national power system, and Circular No. 44/2014/TT-BCT dated November 28, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for operating the national power system.

Based on the Electricity Law dated December 3, 2004, and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Electricity Law dated November 20, 2012;

Pursuant to Decree No. 98/2017/NĐ-CP dated August 18, 2017, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

Based on Decree No. 137/2013/NĐ-CP dated October 21, 2013, issued by the Government, detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Electricity Law and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Electricity Law;

At the proposal of the Director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority;

The Minister of Industry and Trade issues this Circular amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 28/2014/TT-BCT dated September 15, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for handling incidents in the national power system, Circular No. 40/2014/TT-BCT dated November 5, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for dispatching the national power system, and Circular No. 44/2014/TT-BCT dated November 28, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for operating the national power system.

Article 1. Amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 28/2014/TT-BCT dated September 15, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the procedures for handling incidents in the national power system as follows:

1. Supplement Clause 6a, 6b, and 6c following Clause 6 of Article 3 as follows:

“6a. is a consumer prioritized for power supply when the seller stops or reduces the level of electricity supply, determined by the People's Committee of provinces or centrally governed cities based on political, social, security, and defense importance. is a customer prioritized for electricity supply when the seller of electricity implements a stoppage or reduction in electricity supply, determined by the People's Committee of the province or centrally governed city based on the political, social, security, and defense importance.

6b. Residential area is a geographic area where households reside collectively or have been approved for planning to relocate households to reside. Geographic areas without households residing, even if there are people or motor vehicles passing through, or agricultural fields, hills planted with trees, shall not be referred to as residential areas.

6c. Area densely populated includes markets, squares, hospitals, schools, places organizing fairs, exhibitions, shopping centers, entertainment zones, ferry terminals, bus stations, railway stations, and other public facilities.”

2. Amend Point a and Point d of Clause 8 of Article 3 as follows:

“a) Dispatchers at all levels of dispatch;

d) Staff on duty for mobile operations.”

3. Amend Clause 9 of Article 3 as follows:

“9. Incident is an event involving one or more pieces of equipment in the power system due to one or more causes leading to abnormal operation of the power system, causing a stop in electricity supply or affecting the assurance of safe, stable, continuous, and quality electricity supply for the national power system.”

4. Amend Clause 2 of Article 6 as follows:

“2. Do not operate the grid in loop mode on distribution networks with voltage below 110 kV, except in cases where it is necessary to close the loop to transfer electrical load or change the power source to enhance reliability of power supply but must ensure that it does not cause the incident to spread.”

5. Amend Clause 2 of Article 8 as follows:

“2. Protective relays and automatic devices (including low-frequency and low-voltage load shedding relays) must always be in operational mode, except for relays whose operating principle, working conditions of the energy system, and selectivity require them to be separated from operation.”

6. Supplement Point đ of Clause 5 of Article 10 as follows:

“đ) In addition to the reporting procedures for incidents as stipulated in Points a, b, c, and d of Clause 5 of this Article, the level of dispatch has the authority to implement reporting procedures for incidents in the national power system as follows:

- For prolonged incidents occurring in transmission systems with voltage of 220 kV or higher causing equipment damage or incidents on the national power system causing widespread power outages across one province or centrally governed city or incidents leading to load shedding with capacity of 200 MW or more, immediately after isolating the faulty element in the national power system, send a report on incident information to the Electricity Regulatory Authority via text message or email;

- Within 36 hours from the time of the incident, send an Incident Report to the Electricity Regulatory Authority via email according to the form prescribed in Appendix 3 issued together with this Circular;

- On a regular basis before the 20th day of each month, the National Power System Dispatch Unit is responsible for compiling and analyzing reports on incidents according to the form prescribed in Appendix 4 issued together with this Circular (for incidents requiring analysis and evaluation) and incidents that occurred in the previous month and send them to the Electricity Regulatory Authority via official mail and email for the following incidents:

+ Prolonged incidents on the 500 kV grid;

+ Prolonged incidents on transmission lines of 220 kV, 110 kV, and power plants causing widespread power outages across one province or centrally governed city or one inner-city district of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City or load shedding with capacity of 200 MW or more or directly impacting the operation mode of power plants participating in competitive electricity markets.”

7. Amend Clause 3 of Article 11 as follows:

“3. During the process of handling incidents, the level of dispatch has the authority to operate the power system at frequencies and voltages different from those required during normal operation as stipulated in the Transmission System Regulations and Distribution System Regulations issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade but must quickly implement measures to restore the power system to its normal operating state, ensuring the stable operation of the power system.”

8. Amend Clause 1 of Article 22 as follows:

“1. When there is an incident on a transmission line with voltage from above 35 kV to 220 kV, allow reclosing the line up to two times, including unsuccessful automatic reclosures. For lines passing through densely populated areas or residential areas, only allow the second reclosure after the management unit has inspected and confirmed that the line meets the operational conditions and ensures safety for people and electrical equipment. The management unit is responsible for providing a list of lines passing through densely populated areas and residential areas to the level of dispatch with authority.”

9. Amend Article 38 as follows:

“Article 38. Restoration of Transformers After Incidents

1. In cases where transformers are disconnected due to protective measures other than phase imbalance, gas, oil flow, or oil pressure, after the operating staff have inspected and reported that there are no abnormal signs on the exterior of the transformer, the Dispatching Officer shall restore the transformer to operation when one of the following conditions is met:

a) The operating staff confirms that the protective circuit did not act erroneously;

b) The operating staff has checked and found that the protective circuit acted erroneously due to damage to the protective circuit, which has been repaired. If the damage cannot be repaired, the Dispatching Officer may isolate the protective circuit at the request of the Operating Management Unit and restore the transformer to operation under the condition that the remaining relays must ensure full protection against all types of incidents, ensuring fault clearance time.

2. In cases where transformers are disconnected due to phase imbalance and gas (or oil flow, oil pressure) protection, the Dispatching Officer shall restore the transformer to operation when the following conditions are met:

a) The Operating Management Unit has conducted tests, verified parameters, analyzed gas and oil samples, and rectified any detected abnormalities;

b) The Operating Management Unit has issued a document confirming that the transformer meets operational conditions and sent it to the Dispatching Authority with control rights.

3. In cases where only one of the phase imbalance, gas, oil flow, or oil pressure protections has activated, the Dispatching Officer shall isolate the transformer and hand it over to the Operating Management Unit for testing and inspecting the main protective circuit that has activated. The Dispatching Officer shall restore the transformer to operation when one of the following conditions is met:

a) Upon inspection, it is found that the activation of the main protective circuit of the transformer was due to damage within the protective circuit, which has been repaired;

b) Upon inspection, it is found that the activation of the main protective circuit of the transformer was due to damage to equipment within the protected area (but not the transformer itself), which has been repaired;

c) Upon inspection of the main protective circuit and equipment within the protected area without finding any damage, the Operating Management Unit has complied with the provisions of Clause 2 of this Article.

4. In cases where the shutdown of the transformer leads to a power outage for important electricity users, the Dispatching Officer shall restore the transformer to operation when the following conditions are met:

a) The operating staff have inspected, confirmed, and reported that the transformer was disconnected due to one of the internal protective measures of the transformer and there are no external signs indicating damage to the transformer;

b) The operating staff have informed that the transformer has been approved by the Operating Management Unit's leadership to be restored to operation."

10. Amend Article 45 as follows:

“Article 45. Actions of Operating Staff at Substations and Control Centers When a Complete Power Outage Occurs at a Substation

When a complete power outage occurs at a substation, the operating staff at the substation, control center, or operating staff dispatched by the Operating Management Unit to unmanned substations shall follow the procedure below:

1. Implement incident handling according to the Operation and Incident Handling Procedures issued by the Operating Management Unit, switching to backup power sources to provide essential self-use power for the substation.

2. Disconnect all circuit breakers in the substation. In special cases where technical requirements prevent the disconnection of all circuit breakers, specific regulations of the Operating Management Unit must be followed.

3. Inspect the status of all equipment in the substation.

4. Immediately report to the Dispatching Authority with control rights on the status of the circuit breakers.

5. Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the substation to decide whether to isolate or restore the substation to operation based on the following conditions:

a) In cases where the incident did not occur within the substation and the equipment is ready to receive power again, report to the Dispatching Authority with control rights for permission to reconnect power;

b) In cases where the incident occurred within the substation, request the Dispatching Authority with control rights to perform isolation operations on the affected lines and equipment."

11. Amend Article 46 as follows:

“Article 46. Handling by Power Plant Operators and Control Center Personnel in Case of Total Power Outage at the Power Plant

When a total power outage occurs at the power plant, the operators at the power plant or control center, or the operators dispatched by the operation management unit to the unmanned power plant shall proceed according to the following sequence:

1. Handle the incident according to the Operation and Incident Handling Procedures issued by the operation management unit, switching to the backup power source to restore essential self-use power for the power plant.

2. Disconnect all circuit breakers in the power plant's substation. In special cases where technical requirements prevent the complete disconnection of all circuit breakers, specific regulations must be established by the operation management unit.

3. Inspect the status of equipment within the power plant and the condition of generator units.

4. Immediately report to the dispatch authority with control over the state of circuit breakers and the condition of generator units.

5. Ensure that equipment and generator units are free from faults and ready for reconnection.

6. Request the dispatch authority with control to isolate faulty lines or equipment (if applicable).

7. Request the dispatch authority with control to coordinate quickly to restore self-use power at the power plant (in case of backup power source failure).

12. Supplement Clause 1a after Clause 1 of Article 47 as follows:

"1a. For unmanned substations or power plants, handle incidents according to the Cooperative Operation Procedures for Unmanned Substations or Power Plants between the operation management unit and the dispatch authority with control."

13. Amend Article 48 as follows:

“Article 48. Warning Mode

The power system operates in warning mode when any of the following conditions appear or persist:

1. Conditions indicating the warning mode of the transmission system as stipulated in the Transmission System Regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

2. Transmission lines and transformers supplying 110 kV voltage have a load level of 90% or higher but not exceeding the rated value.

14. Amend Article 49 as follows:

“Article 49. Handling by Dispatch Personnel When the Power System is in Warning Mode

1. Control the power output of power plants to ensure the secondary frequency adjustment reserve capacity meets or exceeds the prescribed level.

2. Control the power output of power plants to ensure the load level on transmission lines and transformers supplying 110 kV voltage or higher does not exceed 90% of the rated value..

3. Control voltage according to the National Power System Dispatch Procedures issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to bring voltage within the permissible range for normal operation.

4. Reduce power transmission on lines in areas prone to natural disasters or abnormal weather conditions that could affect power supply security or pose national defense and security risks threatening the power system.

5. Provide information to publish warning information on the power system and electricity market website when necessary measures have been taken but the system cannot be returned to normal operating mode.

15. Amend Article 50 as follows:

“Article 50. Emergency Mode

The power system operates in emergency mode when any of the following conditions appear and persist:

1. Conditions indicating the emergency mode of the transmission system as stipulated in the Transmission System Regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

2. Voltage at any node on the 110 kV grid falls outside the permitted range in the event of a single fault.

3. Load level of any electrical equipment in the 110 kV grid or equipment connected to the 110 kV grid exceeds the rated value but is less than 110% of the rated value, such that an overload fault could lead to an extremely critical operating mode.

16. Amend the title and Point a of Clause 2 of Article 51 as follows:

“Article 51. Actions of the System Dispatcher when the power system is in emergency mode”

"a) Control the power output of power plants to prevent transmission lines or electrical equipment from being overloaded;"

17. Amend Article 52 as follows:

“Article 52. Extremely Emergency Mode

The power system operates in extremely emergency mode when any of the following conditions arise or persist:

1. Conditions leading to the extremely emergency mode of the transmission power system as stipulated in the Transmission Power System Regulation issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

2. The load-carrying capacity of any equipment in the 110 kV grid or equipment connected to the 110 kV grid exceeds 110% of its rated value, and if this equipment fails due to overload, it may lead to partial collapse of the power system."

18. Amend the title, Clause 1 and Point a Clause 2 of Article 53 as follows:

“Article 53. Actions of the System Dispatcher when the power system is in extremely emergency mode

1. Control frequency according to the National Power System Dispatching Procedure Regulation issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to bring the frequency back within the permissible range for normal operation.

2. Handling overloading of transmission lines or electrical equipment

a) Control the power output of power plants to prevent transmission lines from exceeding their transmission limits or electrical equipment from being overloaded above 110%;"

Article 2. Amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 40/2014/TT-BCT dated November 5, 2014, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade on the national power system dispatching procedure as follows:

1. Amend Point d Clause 39 of Article 3 as follows:

"d) Mobile shift operators."

2. Amend Clause 2 of Article 10 as follows:

"2. In cases of emergencies that cannot be delayed (such as fire or threats to human life or equipment safety) at power plants or substations, allow plant operators, substation operators, and control center operators to perform operations on equipment according to relevant procedures and bear responsibility for their actions in handling incidents. After completing the handling, the plant operators, substation operators, and control center operators must immediately report to their superior operators with authority to control the affected equipment."

3. Amend Clause 2 and Clause 3 of Article 11 as follows:

"2. Voltage on the 500 kV grid, 220 kV busbars belonging to 500 kV substations."

4. Amend Clause 2 and Clause 3 of Article 14 as follows:

"2. Voltage on the 66 kV, 110 kV, and 220 kV grids within the regional power system, excluding 220 kV busbars under the control of the National Dispatch Level. The reactive power capacity of power plants connected to the 110 kV and 220 kV grids within the regional power system, excluding power plants under the control of the National Dispatch Level.

3. The 66 kV, 110 kV, and 220 kV grids within the regional power system (including 110 kV and 220 kV equipment and the outgoing and incoming sides of 110 kV and 220 kV transformers), excluding parts of the 110 kV grid that have been delegated or authorized for control by provincial distribution dispatch levels."

5. Amend Clause 3 of Article 17 as follows:

"3. 110 kV transmission lines authorized for control by the regional dispatch level, 110 kV transformers (including 110 kV switching devices) except for 110 kV transformers located at power plants under the control of higher dispatch levels, medium voltage grids within provinces and centrally-administered cities, except as provided in Clause 1 of Article 20 of this Circular."

6. Amend Point b Clause 1 of Article 26 as follows:

"b) Control voltage on the 500 kV grid, 220 kV busbars belonging to 500 kV substations;"

7. Add Point d Clause 2 of Article 52 as follows:

"d) Mobile shift operators (in cases where operations are performed on equipment under their control);"

8. Add Point d Clause 2 of Article 53 as follows:

"d) Mobile shift operators (in cases where operations are performed on equipment under their control);"

9. Amend Point d Clause 2 of Article 54 as follows:

"d) Mobile shift operators (in cases where operations are performed on equipment under their control);"

10. Amend Point b Clause 2 of Article 55 as follows:

"b) Operators on duty, mobile shift operators at district and county-level power units, distribution and retail electricity units;"

11. Amend Article 60 as follows:

“Article 60. Conditions for permitting unmanned operation of power stations or power plants

1. In cases where a control center for power stations or power plants is established, the Operating Management Unit shall be responsible for drafting and submitting to the Direct Management Unit for approval the Project Plan for establishing an unmanned operation control center for power plants or power stations after receiving formal written opinions from the dispatching level with control authority, the dispatching level with inspection authority, and related units. For control centers managing groups of large power plants, groups of renewable energy power plants (including solar, wind, biomass, and small hydropower plants), or groups of transmission substations, the Operating Management Unit shall report to the Electricity Regulatory Authority for formal written opinions before approving the project plan. The establishment of a control center for power stations or power plants must meet the following requirements:

a) Power stations and power plants that are remotely operated from the control center must belong to the same dispatching unit with control authority or be under two dispatching units with control authority, wherein this dispatching unit is a direct subordinate of the other dispatching unit;

b) The infrastructure system must fully meet the connection and operational management requirements as prescribed;

c) Ensure sufficient operational staff trained according to regulations, tools supporting the management and operation of the control center and unmanned power plants or substations. The number of operational staff and mobile operators on duty must ensure the ability to handle the required number of operations in all possible situations during the shift. In cases where the Control Center manages multiple types of power plant technology, operational staff must meet the requirements of all types of power plant technology or must be arranged to work concurrently for different types of technology;

d) Develop and promulgate procedures for coordinated operation and monitoring and control operation procedures.

2. During the management and operation of the control center, the Operating Management Unit may supplement one or more new unmanned power plants or substations to be controlled and remotely operated from the control center. The supplementation of new power plants or substations is carried out similarly to the establishment of a control center as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. In cases where a control center is not established but power plants or substations are directly controlled from the dispatching level with control authority, the Operating Management Unit must coordinate with the dispatching level with control authority:

a) The official operating time of unmanned power plants or substations;

b) Mobile operators of the Operating Management Unit to perform operations according to the operation orders of the dispatching level with control authority when remote operations cannot be performed on unmanned power plants or substations.

4. The Operating Management Unit of unmanned power plants or substations has the responsibility to ensure compliance with regulations on electrical safety, occupational health and safety, fire prevention and firefighting, security protection against intrusion, and other relevant laws.

5. Power plants or substations are monitored, controlled, and signal status, measurement, and protection signals are collected from a control center (if any) and the dispatching level with control authority.

6. The monitoring, control, telecommunications, and signal collection systems located at the control center of power plants or substations, and the SCADA system located at the dispatching level with control authority must meet technical requirements as prescribed in the Transmission System Regulations and Distribution System Regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

7. Prior to officially operating unmanned power plants or substations, the Operating Management Unit is responsible for developing and promulgating operational procedures and equipment fault handling procedures, and procedures for operating electrical equipment in unmanned power plants or substations; organizing training and guiding operational staff in performing operations and handling faults in unmanned power plants or substations according to current regulations and internal procedures of the unit.

8. Prior to officially operating unmanned power plants or substations, the Operating Management Unit and the dispatching level with control authority have the responsibility to develop and unify coordinated operation procedures for unmanned power plants or substations to guide operational staff in organizing dispatching operations, operations, and handling faults in unmanned power plants or substations.”

12. Amend Article 61 as follows:

“Article 61. Remote Operation of Substations or Power Plants or Unmanned Power Plants no person on duty

1. The remote operation of substations or power plants without on-site personnel may be conducted from the control center or Dispatching Authority with control rights. In necessary cases, the Operating Management Unit may arrange additional mobile operators to monitor and supervise the remote operations at the power plant or substation.

2. If remote control or operation cannot be performed, the Operating Management Unit shall dispatch mobile operators to directly operate according to the orders of the Dispatching Authority with control rights. When necessary, the Operating Management Unit shall re-establish the shift operation at unmanned substations or power plants to ensure safe operation and promptly handle emergency situations or faults.

3. During each shift operation at the control center, the Operating Management Unit must assign at least two (2) operational staff members for each shift, including one (1) person responsible for the Shift Leader or Team Leader position. The Operating Management Unit shall detail the assignment of tasks for operational staff during shifts at the control center.

4. The Operating Management Unit shall define the functions and responsibilities of mobile operators at unmanned substations or power plants, their positions, shift handover procedures, travel time from their positions to the power plant or substation, communication and transportation means.

5. The Operating Management Unit shall dispatch operational staff to unmanned power plants or substations to inspect equipment on-site, particularly during peak transmission or generation periods.

6. In case of faults at unmanned power plants or substations, the Operating Management Unit shall dispatch operational and repair staff to the power plant or substation to rectify the fault as quickly as possible.”

13. Amend Article 64 as follows:

“Article 64. Frequency Control Levels

Frequency control in the national power system is the process of maintaining stable operation within the system through primary frequency control, secondary frequency control, and tertiary frequency control:

1. Primary frequency control is the immediate adjustment of system frequency carried out by a large number of generating units equipped with speed regulation systems.

2. Secondary frequency control is the subsequent adjustment following primary frequency control, implemented through the Automatic Generation Control (AGC) system to bring the frequency back within the allowable range.

3. Tertiary frequency control is the further adjustment following secondary frequency control, executed via dispatch orders to stabilize the system frequency as prescribed and ensure economic distribution of generation capacity among generating units.”

14. Amend Article 65 as follows:

“Article 65. Provisions on Frequency Control

1. The National System Dispatching Unit shall continuously monitor the reserve capacity for frequency control, load changes in the system, and adjust the generation capacity of power plants accordingly to ensure the required reserve capacity for frequency control.

2. To ensure the required reserve capacity for secondary frequency control, the National System Dispatching Unit shall designate one or more power plants to participate in secondary frequency control. Based on the assigned secondary frequency control tasks, power plants shall activate automatic power and frequency adjustment systems appropriately. When the reserve capacity for secondary frequency control is nearly depleted, power plants participating in secondary frequency control must promptly inform the Dispatching Authority with control rights.

3. When the system frequency exceeds the limit of 50±0.5 Hz, all power plants not involved in primary or secondary frequency adjustments must participate in adjustments according to their unit's capabilities to bring the frequency back within the range of 50±0.5 Hz. Once the system frequency is restored to the upper limit, all participating power plants shall maintain their current output and report to the Dispatching Authority with control rights for confirmation.”

15. Amend Clause 1 of Article 66 as follows:

"1. Adjustment of active power output of power plants:

a) Generating units providing secondary frequency control auxiliary services;

b) Generating units based on the order of mobilization according to bidding prices of generating units (if applicable) in competitive electricity markets or electricity sales prices;

c) Generating units providing rapid start-up reserve services.”

16. Amend Clause 3 of Article 132 as follows:

"3. Specific training duration for Shift Leaders is as follows:

a) For large or medium-sized power plants or control centers (excluding renewable energy power plants) is at least 18 months;

b) For small power plants (excluding renewable energy power plants) is at least 12 months;

c) For groups of power plants or control centers using renewable energy sources:

- With total installed capacity up to 30 MW is at least 6 months;

- With total installed capacity over 30 MW is at least 9 months.”

Article 3. Amending and supplementing certain Articles of Circular No. 44/2014/TT-BCT dated November 28, 2014, of the Minister of Industry and Trade stipulates the operating procedures in the national power system as follows:

1. Supplement Point d Clause 6 Article 3 as follows:

"d) Mobile operators."

2. Amend Point d Clause 8 Article 3 as follows:

"d) Mobile operators."

3. Amend Point d Clause 9 Article 3 as follows:

"d) Mobile operators."

4. Amend Point d Clause 10 Article 3 as follows:

"d) Mobile shift operators."

5. Amend Clause 3 Article 4 as follows:

"3. Allow operational staff to perform operations without filling out operation tickets but must record all steps of the operation in the operation logbook before executing the operation in the following cases:

a) Handling faults;

b) Operations involving no more than three (3) steps and carried out at the control center or remotely;

c) Operations involving no more than five (5) steps and carried out at dispatch levels with control rights.”

6. Amend Clause 1 Article 6 as follows:

"1. The operation ticket model is prescribed in Appendix 2 attached to this Circular. In cases where information technology systems and remote monitoring systems allow for remote automatic operations, the Dispatching Authority has the right to control, and the Operation Management Unit may develop an electronic operation ticket model (where signatures for issuance, approval, and execution of the ticket are managed through a user account hierarchy system) including all contents prescribed in Appendix 2 attached to this Circular. The Dispatching Authority has the right to control, and the Operation Management Unit is responsible for issuing and implementing such models after receiving formal written opinions from the Electricity Regulatory Authority."

7. Amend Article 13 as follows:

“Article 13. Performing the first electrical equipment operation

1. All operations at the location of the first electrical equipment must be carried out by two people working together: one person supervising and one person directly operating. In all cases, both individuals share equal responsibility for the operation.

2. At the location of the first electrical equipment, the two people performing the operation must be familiar with the schematic diagrams and positions of the electrical equipment on site, have been trained and tested to obtain operational qualifications, and have been assigned to perform the operation tasks. The direct operator must have a safety level of three or higher, while the supervisor must have a safety level of four or higher. The procedure for conducting the operation according to the operation ticket is as follows:

a) At the operation location, the operator must verify that the names of the equipment correspond to those listed on the operation ticket;

b) Once it is confirmed that the equipment to be operated is correct, the supervisor issues the command, the direct operator repeats the command and performs each step of the operation according to the operation ticket.

3. When performing complex operations such as energizing or testing new equipment, they must be conducted according to the approved method, with coordination among related units and the corresponding Dispatching Authority. In this process, the person responsible for the entire operation process and the tasks recorded in the program must be clearly identified.

4. After completing the operation, the operator must carry out handover procedures for the equipment, recording in detail in the operation log book the following contents:

a) Name of the operation ticket;

b) Changes in the relay protection and automatic device schematic diagrams, installation or removal of portable grounding devices (specifying the location of installation or removal);

c) Wiring changes on the operation schematic diagram, work teams currently working or having completed their work.

5. Electrical equipment or lines can only be put back into operation after repairs when the Operation Management Unit confirms that the following items have been completed:

a) All work units (personnel and equipment) have been withdrawn;

b) All portable grounding devices have been removed;

c) Contents of the work ticket have been clearly recorded in the operation log book;

d) Handover of the equipment has been verbally confirmed over the phone with recording."

8. Amend Clause 6 of Article 18 as follows:

"6. If remote operation control is lost, the Operation Management Unit must immediately dispatch an operator to perform mobile operations at the substation or power plant."

9. Amend Article 19 as follows:

“Article 19. Conditions for remote operation

1. The monitoring, control, telecommunications, and signal collection systems at the Control Level with authority to control and the control center must be regularly tested and inspected to ensure that remote operations function correctly and reliably, in compliance with the provisions set forth in the Transmission System Regulations and Distribution System Regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

2. The data transmission and control signal linking systems between the Control Level with authority to control and the control center with power stations or power plants must ensure accurate and reliable operation.

3. The Distributed Control System (DCS) and Gateway or Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) at power stations or power plants must operate properly.

4. The control lock status at the control cabinet of the equipment must be set for remote control position.

5. The control lock status at power stations or power plants must be set for remote operation from the Control Level with authority to control or the control center.

6. The control system at the Control Level with authority to control and the control center must operate properly.”

Article 4. Repeal the contents stipulated in Clause 14 and Clause 15 of Article 3 of Circular No. 40/2014/TT-BCT dated November 5, 2014, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade, regarding the dispatching procedures for the national power system.

Article 5. Effectiveness

1. This Circular takes effect from the year 03 the 01 (VND/kWh); 2020.

2. During implementation, if any issues arise, relevant units shall report to the Electricity Regulatory Authority for consideration and resolution within their jurisdiction, or report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for resolution./.