Concern over power shortage in dry season

Power shortages during the dry season are increasingly becoming a major public concern, requiring businesses and people to use every kind of power source and save as much electricity as they can.

Power shortages have become a common occurrence in the dry reason as hydroelectricity supplies accounts for 40-60 percent of the country’s electricity.

Power shortages remain as plants run at full capacity

According to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) group, in the first three months of this year, the demand for power has risen by more than 23 percent including electricity for industry by 40 percent. Industrial consumption in some areas, such as the northern region have increased by up to 40 percent, HCM City and a number of southern provinces 32 percent, the central region 47 percent and Hanoi as much as 71 percent.

The Head of EVN’s Business Department, Trinh Ngoc Khanh, says that in March, power supplies failed to meet demand although all coal and gas fired power plants were operating at full capacity.

Nguyen Tien Vinh, Head of the Electricity Department at the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) says that all three thermal electric power plants operated by his group have been running at full steam to ensure power for the national electricity grid.

The Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Thermal Electric Power Joint Stock Company says that even though some plants have not been checked before operation, they are still working flat-out to generate electricity. More than 600 MW of power from coal-run plants at the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) have been consumed while Vinacomin had to delay its maintenance plans.

The group is also making every effort to put the 300 MW Cam Pha 2 thermal power plant into operation later this year.

The Pha Lai thermal electric power plant, the biggest coal-fired plant in Southeast Asia, has six generators with a capacity of 1,040 MW. Being a major power supplier for the northern region in the dry season, the plant has paid attention to maintaining machinery and equipment to ensure sufficient power supplies for industry.

During the first quarter of this year, the Pha Lai plant has supplied a total of 1,826 million kWh, or 31.2 percent of this year’s planned output. Its general director Nguyen Khac Son says that the plant will do its utmost to reach the 110 percent growth target to ensure enough electricity in the dry season.

“We realise the role we play in the national electric system so the repair and maintenance of equipment is always strictly adhered to,” he confirms.

Two key solutions

Despite the great effort from thermal electric power plants, the national grid proves inefficient for production and domestic use due to the shortage of hydroelectric power.

Trinh Ngoc Khanh says that the water levels in reservoirs across the country are low while on March 25-26, the Hoa Binh water reservoir continued to let out water to irrigate rice and prevent salt penetrating river mouths in the Red River Delta.

Importing electricity also faces many difficulties as China is suffering from severe droughts as well, therefore EVN can only import around 50 percent of the output it has contracted from China. Meanwhile, Vietnam is still managing to supply enough electricity to other neighbouring countries.

Mr Khanh urges consumers to share EVN difficulties. “Businesses should consider if production lines can operate at night,” he suggests.

In addition, EVN has urged hydroelectric power plants to keep water levels in reservoirs at the highest possible levels to serve agricultural production and to transmit electricity from the south to the north via the 500kV transmission line. Consumers have been encouraged to save as much electricity as they can. However, these are only band-aid measures. To deal with power shortages in the long-term, it is necessary to minimise losses during transmission and consumption, and to accelerate the construction of power stations already approved by the Government.

VOVNews

Tags: Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy, Vietnam power shortage