Peak power supply to be maintained in dry season

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Electricity Regulatory Authority announced yesterday that there would be no peak time power cuts in the dry season from May to June.

The ministry has instructed the Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) to ensure there were no power cuts over the holiday period from April 30 (Liberation Day) to May 1 (May Day), and during the next parliamentary elections (May 15-30).

EVN will also look at ways to ensure demand is met during peak periods in June.

The ministry has asked EVN to mobilise coal and gas sources to ensure energy needs are met.

EVN has also instructed its member companies to ensure repairs and maintenance are promptly carried out, particularly at new coal thermo-electricity plants in the north.

The ministry has asked Phu My-Ba Ria, Nhon Trach and Ca Mau complexes to use oil to power their turbines when there is a gas shortage.

EVN has also been urged to complete work on Son La, Hoa Binh, Thac Ba and Tuyen Quang reservoirs in the flood season.

It should also raise public awareness of the need to save power.

In the first four months of this year, EVN imported and produced 33.65 billion kWh of electricity, an increase of 10 per cent against the same period last year.

There were also no power cuts in the first four months of this year.

An EVN representative said power output this year should meet demand if weather conditions were favourable and electricity consumption did not rise above 15 per cent against last year.

She said in the first quarter of this year, power demand increased by 10 per cent over the same period last year, while a 15 per cent rise forecast had been predicted.

“Despite increasing electricity prices, power demand among households rose by 5 per cent,” she added.

“Son La Hydropower Plant in the northern province of Lai Chau produced an extra 400MWh of power to the national grid. EVN has also put three turbines into operation with a total capacity of 515MW this first quarter,” she said, adding that the country had produced nearly 1,400MWh this year. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy, Vietnam power shortage