A worker at Muong Nhe District Electricity in the northern mountainous Dien Bien province shows local residents in Hua Sin 1 Village how to change a light bulb (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Power supply for production and domestic consumption in 2020would be ensured, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade(MoIT).
The MoITsaid power output next year would reach more than 261 billionkWh, increasing 9.1 percent compared to 2019.
Despite these assurances,Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority ofVietnam, said power supply next year would face difficulties due tounfavourable factors including weather conditions and delays to power projects.
The total power output ofhydropower plants in the first months of next year was forecast to be 4.55billion kWh below average.
Power supply, especiallyduring the dry season, will likely be affected because hydropower plants haveto supply water for agricultural production, domestic use and salinityreduction.
In January and February,hydropower reservoirs on the Red River will release more than 4 billion cu.m ofwater for the winter-spring harvest in the northern delta.
Renewable energy willsupply about 10.8 billion kWh, equivalent to 4.16 percent of power demand.
Nearly 2,000MW of windand solar power fields are yet to be put into operation.
Due to the expectedshortage of hydroelectricity, about 3.1 billion kWh of diesel-generated powerwill be used.
“Diesel-generated powerwill be used in case water levels in reservoirs fall, overloading the powertransmission network, or in case of prolonged incidents at coal power plantsand wind turbine farms,” Tuan said.
Deputy Minister of Industryand Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said only four out of 19 Build-Operate-Transferelectricity projects have been put into operation, and delays had affectedpower supply to the whole country.
The ministry hassubmitted a series of solutions to the Government to accelerate progress atthese projects and asked Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam NationalCoal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited and relevant agencies toensure coal, oil and gas supplies.
The MoIT has also askedEVN and other units to accelerate investment and construction at key powertransmission projects including the Vung Ang-Doc Soi-Pleiku 2 power line.
To cope with prolongeddroughts, the MoIT will work with the Ministries of Natural Resources andEnvironment, and Agriculture and Rural Development to save water, invest inirrigation systems and store water to lower dependence on hydropowerreservoirs./.
