Vietnam Likely to Lack Electricity in 2006

To guide the meeting of the power sector that took place on 10 January in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that one of the problems in the coming time is the shortage of electricity. Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister said that during the year of 2006 and the following years, the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has to build a long-term strategy of national energy development to install a base for power projects, which respond to the demands of national development.

 

In order to satisfy these requirements, the electricity sector must attain a growth rate of 17 per cent per year. And along with this target, it will be allowed to invest in building 14 large electricity centres and stations by the Government.

 

At the same time, the managing director of EVN, Dao Van Hung, said that in order to overcome a possible serious electricity shortage in 2006, EVN has hastened the progress of the power source projects.

 

As planned, in the early half year of 2006, the electricity sector has intended to complete and put into use the expanded part of the Phu My 2 power plant; Teams number 1 and 2 of Se San 3 hydroelectric plant; expanded Uong Bi thermo-electric plant. Besides, the plan of buying Chinese electricity will be increased and is expected to complete the introduction of a 220kV electric grid construction (from China) in October 2006.

 

The power sector set a target that in 2006 it will turn out of 51 billion kilowatts per hour in combination with the electricity purchase from other non-EVN sources to achieve 59 billion kwh serving local manufacture.

 

To cope with electricity shortages that occurred in 2005, the EVN director said that the power sector has still continued to implement a power thrift programme including the plan of reducing 50 per cent electricity for popular illumination and 10 per cent of electricity consumption in government offices. EVN will also start construction of 10 big power source projects in 2006 such as Khe Bo power plant (90MW), Ninh Binh enlargement power plant (300MW), O Mon 3 power plant (660MW).