National power utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has said it would generate an additional 2,000 MW from new hydro-power and thermal projects this year.

These projects include Banve, Srepok 3, Dongnai, An Khe-Kanak, the first turbine group of the Son La hydropower plant, and the second turbine groups of the Quang Ninh and Hai Phong thermal power plants.

EVN will also complete the transmission grid for Hanoi, a 500-KV transformer station for Pleiku and speed up other transmission projects in the Center Highlands and southern regions to ensure stable power supplies after 2012.

Furthermore, the group will also provide power to remote ethnic minority hamlets in five Central Highlands provinces, for the Khmer people in southern provinces of Soctrang and Travinh, and for poor households in the two northernmost provinces of Dien Bien and Lai Chau.

The Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang will soon be linked to the national grid through the 110-KV undersea cable system.

The northern province of Son La and southern province of Bac Lieu will get 85 percent financial support from State budget to build electricity grids to reach out remote and ethnic minority areas.

The Saigon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon Daily) has quoted the corporation as saying it will also submit to the government a report on investment in nuclear power and other plans for the national power grid in the 2008-15 period.

This year, EVN will start constructing six more thermal and hydropower plants with a total capacity of 5,356 MW and prepare for four other projects capable of generating 2,760 MW that will begin construction next year./.