Hanoi (VNA) - The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group will ensure safety and reliability of its transmission networks, particularly the North-South 500kV transmission line, during the dry season with an anticipated surge in demand.
The State-run group plans to produce an average of 578 million kWh of electricity per day with the additional charge capacity hitting 31,700 MW in June, one of the hottest months in the year and a peak time for power consumption.
A blistering heat wave hit northern and central Vietnam in the first week of June with temperatures hovering around 37 – 40 degrees Celsius. The two regions were exposed to temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for 10 – 18 hours per day while the temperature reached 42.5 degrees Celsius in some areas of the north.
The hot spell led to record power usage of 629 million kWh on June 2, pressuring the system. Hanoi reported the highest power consumption in history, over 77 million kWh, on June 5, an increase of 47 percent from the same day last year.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorology Forecasting, the northern and central regions of Vietnam are likely to experience one more hot spell this month.
To ensure power supply during upcoming national high school examinations and the third session of the 14th National Assembly, EVN has directed its member companies to prepare all necessary facilities and work around the clock to handle any emergency.
It also decided not to cut off electricity for maintenance and advised customers to save power by turning off electricity devices when they are not in use and setting air conditioners to at least 26 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the firm announced in May that it will reduce the number of days required for a customer to get power access from 10 to seven and streamline the procedure from three to two steps in an effort to improve service quality.-VNA
VNA