A corner of Phu Quoc Island. Photo by Seashells
With demand high, many tourism and hospitality operators on Phu Quoc Island have suffered steep revenue losses. On December 2, the owner of Sun and Sea Hotel said staff had to alternate shifts to buy fuel so backup generators could run continuously. The constant generator noise undermined service quality and businesses were forced to repeatedly apologise to guests.
“Though my facility is small and diesel costs only around VND 1-2 million (USD 40-80) per day, larger operators are hit even harder,” she said. Households have had to take turns to charge power banks, wash clothes, pump water or preserve perishables in fridges.
A representative from the Southern Power Corporation said electricity supply has largely been restored, but power is still rationed due to insufficient capacity. Twelve generators with total capacity of 2.3 megawatts have been deployed from other provinces; a 110/22 kV substation now feeds 25 megawatts through a 22 kV grid. Repairs to the damaged undersea cable are expected to take at least a month, weather permitting.
Investigators say the outage was caused when contractors installing a coastal road drove piles within the safety corridor of the 110 kV undersea cable. The cable, inaugurated in 2014, runs nearly 58 kilometres and cost VND 2,336 billion (about USD 86.5 million) to build. The island also has a 220 kV undersea link commissioned in 2022.
Authorities in An Giang Province have ordered urgent investigations to clarify responsibility and coordinate necessary remedies.
