EVN Ensures Electricity In 2013

Workers make adjustments at the Quang Minh 110kV Transformer Station in Me Linh District, Ha Noi. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Ha

HA NOI (VNS)— Demand for electricity this year may surpass 2012 as the industrial production sector begins a likely recovery, an official from Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) has predicted.

Speaking at a conference on 2013 plans in Ha Noi yesterday, EVN's Deputy General Director Dinh Quang Tri said the power system was still capable of supplying the economy and domestic market without sudden changes in hydrology and problems at big plants.

However, the North-South power transmission system and the southern electricity system could face overload, during which, those in the south could face an unbalanced supply-demand at some stages of the year, he said.

Furthermore, all power plants would join the competitive power generation market this year, making power system management more complicated, Tri added.

To ensure the plan to produce and buy more than 130.5 billion kWh of electricity, (an 11 per cent increase on 2012), EVN has added over 2,300 MW of capacity to all sources since last month. The group has also put a number of transmission and distribution grids into its system to ensure regular supply for southern areas.

"As we have defined 2013 as the year for doing business and serving customers, we will ensure the production aligns with the weather and hydrology situation and will effectively exploit hydro-power plants in the dry season to safeguard enough electricity and water for agriculture production and daily life," Tri said.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai reiterated that EVN needed to ensure enough water for agricultural production and disburse VND106 trillion (US$5 billion) of investment this year.

He also urged the group to focus on human resources development and work seriously on the earthquake problem at Song Tranh hydro power plant, which had raised concerns among local people in central Quang Nam Province.

The Deputy PM asked the group to especially pay more attention to recycle energy source development to ensure future energy security while taking climate change into account.

Hai said 2012 was a fruitful year for EVN, during which the group business gained business profits, reduced losses and increased the trust of donors over the groups' capital use.

"Starting the operation of a series of power plants, worth VND71 trillion ($3.3 billion) in total, was a great effort by the group," Hai said.

Last year, EVN produced 54.4 billion kWh, which was nearly 3.6 billion kWh more than planned. It was reported to have reduced losses from 2011 by VND3.5 trillion ($167 million).

By the end of 2012, the group had provided electricity to more than 19.8 million households, representing a 1.08 million increase on the previous year and covering 97.5 per cent of the country's population.

Following Government policy, the group sold electricity to 2.9 poor million households nationwide at subsidised prices. Hundreds of poor communes and districts could buy subsidised electricity directly thanks to the newly-installed rural power grids. — VNS