500kv electricity grid to be connected to regional countries

Deputy prime minister Hoang Trung Hai has recently asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to instruct Electricity Vietnam (EVN) and relevant agencies to finalise a draft plan on tapping hydroelectricity potential in Laos and Cambodia, and to link Việt Nam’s 500-killovont electricity grid to those of the two neighbour countries this month.

The deputy PM also instructed EVN to make a feasibility study on connecting the 500-KV grid with China’s, and report it to the PM in January 2011.

Besides, EVN was assigned to negotiate for the long-term import of China’s electricity in the 2010-2015 period and report the result to the PM in October 2010.

The Asean electricity-connecting programme was initiated 10 years ago in order to benefit both investors and users. Vietnam joined the Asean power grid long time ago, but has mainly connected its grid to China, Laos, and Cambodia’s ones.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam is going to build a 500-killiovont line from Laos to connect the domestic power grid with Laos, then Thailand, Myanmar and other Asean members.

The hydroelectricity projects Nattarat Kiri and Low SeSan 2, with capacity of 400 megawatts, in the Cambodian province of Stung Treng are underway. When the two plants are completed in 2014 as scheduled, EVN will connect the 220-killovont line to Cambodia. – TBKTVN

Tags: Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy