Circuit 1 of the North-South 500kV transmission line will mark its 20th anniversary on May 27, 2014, marking a milestone in Vietnam’s electricity sector and adding momentum to the ongoing development of the national transmission system.

In the early 1990s, the sector faced a big pressure of providing enough electricity for the southern region, as power plants there met only 89.73 percent of the total demand for energy, leading to power blackouts that hindered the region’s development.

To deal with the serious shortage, Vietnam spent two years constructing an extra high voltage line for the first time.

The line’s Circuit 1, stretching nearly 1,500 km from the northern province of Hoa Binh to Ho Chi Minh City, transmits around 2 billion kWh per year. 

The line created a foundation for the expansion of the national grid, said Tran Quoc Lam, Deputy General Director of the Electricity of Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT). 

He added that the system run by the EVNNPT has to date accessed 61 out of the 63 provinces and cities across the country. A number of 220-500kV transformer stations have been put into operation in 57 localities. 

In addition to connecting three separate power systems in the north, the centre and the south, the 500kV transmission system helps ensure power supply for large cities and key economic zones.

According to the EVNNPT, the power transmission system will satisfy the economy’s demand for an annual amount of 145-150 billion kWh in 2015, increasing to 265-275 billion kWh by 2020.

The corporation will maintain and extend the 220-500 kV transmission system connected with China, Laos and Cambodia, looking to building a smart grid capable of improving the quality of electricity.

On May 5, the Pleiku-My Phuoc- Cau Bong 550kV transmission line, counted as Circuit 3 of the North-South 500kV extra high voltage line, was connected to the national power grid.-VNA