Vietnam Electricity (EVN) plans to produce and buy 140.5 billion kWh this year, a 9.9 percent increase on 2013, to meet the increased demand during the coming dry season in the north and to provide sufficient power for the south, the Vietnam Economic News reported on March 18.

EVN said that the power industry would produce 391 million kWh per day this March and would make the most of hydropower plants, coal-fueled thermopower plants and gas turbines to ensure sufficient power during the dry season.

EVN General Director Pham Le Thanh told the paper that the EVN produced 9.455 billion kWh this February and a record 384.4 million per day during the month to meet demand for power for socio-economic development and domestic use. Power production amounted to 19.79 billion kWh in the first two months of the year, a 5.5 percent increase from the same period last year.

EVN said that major power resource projects kept up with the schedule. In the first two months of the year EVN inaugurated Turbine 1 of the 622MW Vinh Tan 2 Thermopower Plant and Turbine 2 of the 300MW Hai Phong 2 Thermopower Plant.

It also began work on the 600MW Thai Binh Thermopower Plant and the Vinh Tan 4 Thermopower Plant on March 9. Vinh Tan 4 is expected to contribute to providing sufficient power in the south in an economical manner, reducing power transmission from the north to the south, reducing power loss and increasing safety, stability and economy of the power system. These major projects could provide stable power in the next two to three years.

The national power system has a total design capacity of 26,700MW, of which 20,400MW could be produced compared with the need of 18,600MW. The industry would produce an additional 4,466MW this year.

EVN Southern Power Company (SPC) Deputy General Director Pham Ngoc Le said that EVN SPC set a goal to produce 44,120 million kWh of commercial power and save 882 million kWh this year. It would also try to ensure sufficient power for the south during the dry season.

According to the EVN General Director, EVN had put into operation several hydropower plants so as to not reduce power supply in the south during the dry season.

This February EVN also began operation of Turbines 1 and 2 of the Song Giang 2 Hydropower Plant, Turbine 2 of the Dakdrinh Hydropower Plant and Turbines 1 and 2 of the Dong Nai 2 Hydropower Plant, which have a combined capacity of almost 170MW.

It accelerated the pace of construction of the 500kV Cau Bong Transformation Station, 220kV Cau Bong-Cu Chi Transmission Line and 220kV Cu Chi Transformation Station in preparation for launching the 500kV Pleiku-My Phuoc-Cau Bong Transmission Line at the end of this coming April and before the demand increases to peak levels in June-July in the south.

The new 500kV transmission line is expected to increase flexibility of the power supply system, reduce power loss by 1-2 percent, or 1.3-2 billion kWh per year, and reduce the pressure for the southern power system during the dry season.

Pham Le Thanh believed that putting new turbines into action and building new power projects this year could increase power supply and reduce black-out in the south during the dry season.-VNA