Power projects are being speeded up and options to prevent a power shortage in the southern region during the 2017-2020 period are increasingly being discussed by the government.
Power projects being speeded up to prevent a power shortage in the southern region
A Vietnam Electricity (EVN) report released on September 8 was discussed at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung. According to EVN, supply from local power stations in the southern region will fall 10-15% short of total annual demand by 2020.
Duong Quang Thanh, EVN's chairman said starting from 2017, oil and gas-fired plants would be required to generate five billion kWh. In 2018 and 2019, they would need to generate 8.5 billion kWh to meet demand. However, costs will double compared to coal-fired plants and the government will have to spend huge amount to cover the losses.
Dung asked EVN, Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group PetroVietnam to build the 500KV electricity line connecting Vung Ang-Doc Soi-Pleiku which can transfer five billion kWh per year from the north to the central region.
Local authorities are urged to speed up process to carry out thermal power plant projects in the Mekong Delta region and limit the usage of oil and gas-fired plants. If the thermal power plants such as Vinh Tan 1 or Long Phu 1 are opened on time, they will play important role in balancing the southern region's supply and demand. However, if one of those constructions is stagnant, the region will face a power shortage in 2019. Vinacomin has been assigned to draft plans to build coal transhipment ports for thermal power plants.
Not only were the thermal power plants in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces urged to speed up construction, existing hydro power plants must also be reviewed and used to full capacity. "We won't waste the hydro power plants but we also won't let the plants destroy our environment," Dung said.
Renewable energy projects and options to buy electricity from other countries in the Mekong Basin were also considered.