Decree No. 51/2020/ND-CP Amending and supplementing some articles of Decree No. 14/2014/ND-CP dated February 26, 2014 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Electricity Law on electrical safety

DECREE

AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO SOME ARTICLES OF DECREE NO. 14/2014/ND-CP OF FEBRUARY 26, 2014, ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT, PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ELECTRICITY LAW ON ELECTRICAL SAFETY

||| Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated June 19, 2015;

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;

The Government issues this Decree on management and development of industrial clusters.

At the proposal of the Minister of Industry and Trade;

The Government issues this Decree to amend and supplement some articles of Decree No. 14/2014/ND-CP of February 26, 2014, issued by the Government, providing guidelines for implementation of the Electricity Law on electrical safety (Decree No. 14/2014/ND-CP).

Article 1. Amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Governmental Decree No. 14/2014/ND-CP

1. Clause 1 of Article 1 is amended as follows:

"1. This Decree provides detailed guidelines for implementing certain provisions of the Electricity Law on electrical safety, including safety in power generation, transmission, distribution, and use of electricity for production, business, and services, and compensation and support when constructing, renovating, repairing, and managing high-voltage power grids."

2. Clause 1 of Article 2 shall be amended and supplemented with Clause 5 as follows:

a) Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

"1. A high-voltage grid is a grid with a rated voltage of 1,000 V or higher."

b) Add Clause 5 as follows:

"5. Insulated wire is electric wire covered with an insulating layer having a minimum insulation level equal to the phase voltage of the line."

3. The name of Article 5, Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 6, and Clause 9 shall be amended as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

"Article 5. General Requirements for Safety in Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution, and Use of Electricity for Production, Business, and Services"

b) Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

"1. For power plants, substations, and overhead power lines ready for operation, the project investor must hand over all design, construction, completion, and other technical documents as required by laws on construction to the operating management unit."

c) Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

"2. For overhead power lines crossing residential buildings, structures where people live or work, and places frequently crowded with people, the operational conditions of the lines must not exceed the prescribed standards and limits."

d) Clause 6 shall be amended as follows:

"6. Electrical equipment and tools must have quality certificates or registered quality labels that comply with technical standards and regulations and other relevant laws. Such equipment and tools must be tested for technical safety according to the prescribed regulations.

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall provide detailed regulations on the list of electrical equipment and tools that require testing; the content of the tests; the form, cycle, and procedures for testing; and the responsibilities of organizations and individuals involved in the technical safety testing of electrical equipment and tools."

đ) Clause 9 shall be amended as follows:

"9. Implement statistics and reporting of electrical accidents and violations of the safety protection zone of high-voltage power grids.

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall provide detailed regulations on statistics and reporting of electrical accidents and violations of the safety protection zone of high-voltage power grids."

4. The name of Article 6, Clause 1, Clause 3, and Clause 5 shall be amended as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

"Article 6. Provisions on Training and Testing for Electrical Safety"

b) Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

"1. Workers engaged in construction, operation, inspection, and repair of power lines and electrical equipment must undergo training and testing for electrical safety."

c) Clause 3 shall be amended as follows:

"3. Employers are responsible for organizing training and testing for electrical safety for workers as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article; for rural, mountainous, border, island areas, the issuance of electrical safety cards shall be carried out in accordance with Article 64 of the Electricity Law."

d) Clause 5 shall be amended as follows:

"5. The Minister of Industry and Trade shall provide detailed regulations on training and testing for electrical safety."

5. Clause 3 of Article 7 shall be amended as follows:

"3. The project investor or the operating management unit of the substation is responsible for conducting measurements and mapping of electric field strength.

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall provide detailed regulations on measurements and mapping of electric field strength."

6. The name of Article 9, the name of Clause 2, and Point b of Clause 2 shall be amended and supplemented with Clause 6 as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

"Article 9. Construction and Renovation of High-Voltage Power Grids"

b) The name of Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

"2. When constructing or renovating overhead high-voltage power lines crossing residential buildings, structures where people live or work inside; places frequently crowded with people; important facilities related to national security; historical-cultural sites, scenic spots, and landmarks ranked by the State, the project investor/operating management unit must strengthen safety measures for electricity and construction of the lines, specifically as follows:"

c) Point b of Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

"b) Within a span, insulated wires and lightning protection wires shall not have joints, except for insulated wires with a cross-sectional area of 240 mm² or more, which may have one joint per wire. The safety factor of insulated wires and lightning protection wires shall not be less than 2.5."

d) Add Clause 6 as follows:

"6. Overhead power lines shall be installed into shared infrastructure facilities in accordance with the laws on management and shared use of such facilities. The project investor constructing or renovating overhead power lines shall coordinate with the investor/management and user of shared infrastructure facilities to agree and implement measures to ensure safety for the power lines, shared infrastructure facilities, and communities in accordance with current laws and relevant technical standards and regulations on electrical safety and safety for shared infrastructure facilities."

7. The name of Article 11, the name of Clause 1, and Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

"Article 11. Protection Zones for Overhead High-Voltage Power Lines"

b) The name of Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

"1. For overhead power lines using bare or insulated wires, the protection zones for safety shall be defined as follows:"

c) Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

"2. For underground or overhead cables, the protection zones for safety around the cables shall be limited to 0.5 meters from the outer surface of the outermost cable."

8. The name of Article 12, the name of Clause 1, and the name of Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

"Article 12. Trees within and outside the Protection Zones for Overhead High-Voltage Power Lines"

b) The name of Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

"1. For trees within the protection zones for overhead power lines"

c) The name of Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

"2. For trees outside the protection zones for overhead power lines and outside cities, towns, and townships, the distance from any part of the tree when it falls to any part of the power line shall not be less than the distances specified in the following table:"

9. The name of Article 13, Clause 2, and Clause 6 of Article 13 shall be amended as follows:

a) The name of the Article shall be amended as follows:

“Article 13. Conditions for residential buildings and structures with people living or working inside to exist within the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines up to 220 kV”

b) Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

“2. Not to obstruct access routes for inspection, maintenance, and replacement of parts of the power lines.”

c) Clause 6 shall be amended as follows:

“6. The Minister of Industry and Trade shall provide detailed regulations on the scope and technical requirements for grounding metal structures of residential buildings and structures within and adjacent to the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines up to 220 kV and adjacent to the safety protection corridor of 500 kV power lines.”

10. The name of Article 14 shall be amended as follows:

“Article 14. Safety Protection Corridor for Underground High-Voltage Power Cable Lines”

11. Point b of Clause 1 of Article 17 shall be amended as follows:

“b) Inspect, repair, and maintain the power grid within the management scope in accordance with the prescribed regulations.”

12. Insert Article 18a before Article 18 as follows:

“Article 18a. Land Acquisition and Compensation for Construction of Power Facilities

The acquisition of land; compensation and support for land and property attached to the land within the safety protection corridor of high-voltage power transmission lines that suffer damage due to relocation shall be carried out in accordance with the laws on compensation, support, and resettlement when the State acquires land.”

13. Clause 1 and the name of Clause 2 of Article 18 shall be amended as follows:

a) Clause 1 shall be amended as follows:

“1. Residential buildings and structures serving daily life of households and individuals that do not need to be relocated from the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines up to 220 kV as stipulated in Article 13 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP, the owner of the residential buildings and structures serving daily life shall be compensated and supported for the limitation of usability and impact on daily life. The compensation and support shall be implemented once as follows:

a) In cases where part or all of the area of the residential buildings and structures serving daily life is located within the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines, constructed on land meeting the conditions for land compensation under the laws on land before the announcement of land acquisition by the competent authority, the owner of the residential buildings and structures serving daily life shall be compensated and supported for the area within the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines. The specific level of compensation and support shall be determined by the provincial People's Committee based on the actual situation in the locality.

b) In cases where the residential buildings and structures serving daily life are constructed on land not meeting the conditions for land compensation under the laws on land, the provincial People's Committee shall consider and support based on the actual conditions of each locality.”

b) The name of Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:

“2. Residential buildings and structures serving daily life constructed before the announcement of land acquisition by the competent authority:”

14. Article 20 shall be amended as follows:

“Article 20. Compensation and Support for Residential Buildings and Structures Outside the Safety Protection Corridor of High-Voltage Power Transmission Lines

1. Residential buildings and structures serving daily life of households and individuals outside the safety protection corridor of high-voltage power transmission lines and within areas with electric field intensity exceeding the provisions of Clause 4 of Article 13 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP, the owner of the residential buildings and structures shall be compensated and supported for relocation as if they were residential buildings and structures serving daily life within the safety protection corridor of high-voltage power transmission lines that must be relocated according to the laws on compensation, support, and resettlement when the State acquires land.

2. Residential buildings and structures serving daily life of households and individuals outside the safety protection corridor and between two overhead high-voltage power transmission lines of 500 kV, with a horizontal distance between the outermost conductors of the two lines being less than or equal to 60 meters, the owner of the residential buildings and structures serving daily life may choose one of the following two handling methods:

a) To be compensated and supported for relocation as if they were residential buildings and structures serving daily life within the safety protection corridor of high-voltage power transmission lines that must be relocated according to the laws on compensation, support, and resettlement when the State acquires land.

b) If there is no need for relocation, then a written request to remain in place must be submitted to the district People's Committee within 15 days from the date of the announcement of land acquisition by the competent authority for the construction of a 500 kV power line built later, and the owner will be compensated for land, residential buildings, and structures serving daily life according to point a of Clause 12 of this Decree.”

15. Article 22 shall be amended as follows:

“Article 22. Compensation for Relocation Costs

Residential buildings and structures that meet the conditions to exist within the safety protection corridor of overhead high-voltage power transmission lines, if the owner relocates outside the safety protection corridor of the power transmission lines, shall be compensated for relocation costs in accordance with the Law on Land.”

16. Article 23 shall be amended as follows:

“Article 23. Compensation for Trees Within and Outside the Safety Protection Corridor of High-Voltage Power Transmission Lines

1. Trees within the corridor and existing prior to the announcement of land acquisition for power grid construction, if not required to be cut down or prohibited from planting according to Clause 3 of Article 12 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP, the operating management unit shall be responsible for inspecting, cutting, and trimming trees to ensure safety for the power grid and implement compensation in accordance with the laws on compensation, support, and resettlement when the State acquires land.

2. Trees outside the corridor and potentially violating the safe distance as stipulated in Clause 2 of Article 12 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP, the operating management unit shall be responsible for inspecting, cutting, and trimming trees to ensure safety for the power grid and implement compensation as for trees within the corridor as provided in Clause 1 of this Article.”

17. Clause 3 of Article 25 shall be amended as follows:

“3. Based on the situation in each locality, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shall decide on the establishment of the Provincial Steering Committee to resolve issues related to the protection of high-voltage power transmission lines. The composition and operational rules of the Steering Committee shall be determined by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.”

Article 2.

1. Repeal Clause 2 of Article 2, Clause 2 of Article 6, Clause 1 and point d of Clause 2 of Article 9, point c and point d of Clause 1 of Article 17, Article 19, Article 21, and point d of Clause 1 of Article 24 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP.

2. Change the terms:

a) Replace the term "thí nghiệm" with "kiểm định" in Clause 5, Article 5; Point b and Point đ, Clause 4, Article 6 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP.

b) Replace the term "công trình lưới điện" with "lưới điện" in Clauses 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 of Article 4; Point a, Clause 2 of Article 18 of Decree No. 14/2014/NĐ-CP.

This Circular takes effect from December 25, 2025/.

1. Transitional Provisions

a) High-voltage overhead power transmission line projects that have been approved for technical design before this Decree takes effect shall continue to be implemented according to the approved design or modified to comply with the provisions of this Decree.

b) For existing high-voltage overhead power transmission lines in operation using insulated cables that do not meet the insulation requirements specified in Point b, Clause 2, Article 1 of this Decree, when upgrading the lines, replacement of cables must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Decree.

2. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under central cities, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Decree./.

Article 4. Implementation provisions

This Decree takes effect from the date of issuance./.