Power supply to be ensured next year

Hanoi (VNA) - Power supply for production and domestic consumption in 2020 would be ensured, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
The MoIT said power output next year would reach more than 261 billion kWh, increasing 9.1 percent compared to 2019.
Despite these assurances,
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of
Vietnam, said power supply next year would face difficulties due to
unfavourable factors including weather conditions and delays to power projects.
The total power output of
hydropower plants in the first months of next year was forecast to be 4.55
billion kWh below average.
Power supply, especially
during the dry season, will likely be affected because hydropower plants have
to supply water for agricultural production, domestic use and salinity
reduction.
In January and February,
hydropower reservoirs on the Red River will release more than 4 billion cu.m of
water for the winter-spring harvest in the northern delta.
Renewable energy will
supply about 10.8 billion kWh, equivalent to 4.16 percent of power demand.
Nearly 2,000MW of wind
and solar power fields are yet to be put into operation.
Due to the expected
shortage of hydroelectricity, about 3.1 billion kWh of diesel-generated power
will be used.
“Diesel-generated power
will be used in case water levels in reservoirs fall, overloading the power
transmission network, or in case of prolonged incidents at coal power plants
and wind turbine farms,” Tuan said.
Deputy Minister of Industry
and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said only four out of 19 Build-Operate-Transfer
electricity projects have been put into operation, and delays had affected
power supply to the whole country.
The ministry has
submitted a series of solutions to the Government to accelerate progress at
these projects and asked Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam National
Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited and relevant agencies to
ensure coal, oil and gas supplies.
The MoIT has also asked
EVN and other units to accelerate investment and construction at key power
transmission projects including the Vung Ang-Doc Soi-Pleiku 2 power line.
To cope with prolonged
droughts, the MoIT will work with the Ministries of Natural Resources and
Environment, and Agriculture and Rural Development to save water, invest in
irrigation systems and store water to lower dependence on hydropower
reservoirs./.