Ensuring Power Supply in Dry Season

In April, 2014, despite facing various objective difficulties, the electrical system of Vietnam has worked hard to ensure stable operation, providing enough electricity of high quality and safety for the people in production as well as life activities.

 

Although there have been forecasts and scenarios prepared for the hot season, but unusual weather events in April of this year still caused difficulties for the electricity sector.

 

In the context of two PM3 gas incidents, volatile hydrological situation, severe drought in Central - Western Highlands, also facing the challenges in performing power switching in a large volume on transmission grid to serve construction of connecting key electrical works, EVN has economically operated electric systems, maximising the exploitation of coal thermal power, mobilising oil thermal power resources to serve the grid, preventing overload and holding voltage, etc. Especially, EVN has efficiently coordinated operation of hydroelectric plants to ensure stable and safe power supply, serving socio-economic development, at the same time ensuring water for agricultural production, pushing salty water and providing water for downstream activities. According to EVN, the country's electricity output in April reached 12.134 billion kWh. Average electricity production stood at 404.5 million kWh/day. Accumulation of the first four months of 2014, total output of the system reached 44.25 billion kWh, an increase of 7.9 percent compared to the same period in 2013.

 

Accumulation of the first four months of 2014, total output of the system reached 44.25 billion kWh, an increase of 7.9 percent compared to the same period in 2013.

 

The dry season of 2014 was predicted to be a stressful one, the most difficult is to ensure electricity for the southern provinces. The reason is that a number of power plants in the South are behind construction schedule, which makes electricity supply for the South heavily depend on the transmission from the North and Central regions to make up for the underproduction. Besides, the instability in gas supply for generators might pose major challenges for the power supply of the South in the remaining months of the 2014 dry season.

 

To solve this problem, recently, EVN has completed closing electricity of 12 projects 500 - 220kV. In particular, on 5th May, EVN completed the high-voltage transmission lines 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong of more than 437km in length. The on-schedule electrification and commissioning of key projects will help ensure transmission security and stability from the North to the South, timely supply enough electricity for the South during the hottest months of May, June and July of 2014 as well as subsequent years. Along with the 500kV line circuit 1 and circuit 2, the going into operation of 500kV line circuit 3 Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong will help connect the grid lines of Eastern – Southwestern region, ensuring safe and economically electrical operation in case emerging a need of a high-level power exchange among regions across the country.

 

EVN has also proposed to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to consider enhancing PM3 gas supply for gas power plants by reducing gas supply for fertilizer plants; negotiating with the Talisman (Malaysia) to cede part of gas supply for power needs. EVN also plans to properly exploit hydropower plants under synchronised schedule of water regulation approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the General Department of Irrigation and localities to meet requirements of water supply for downstream areas of Central – Western Highland, at the same time ensuring power plan for the next months of dry season.