In order to maximize power supply for production and consumption, EVN will continue to implement measures to improve supply capacity as directed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The ministry will continue to supervise capacity of individual plants in the power system in order to ensure the maximum supply and the safe power grid.
All power sources will be mobilized at most, including those managed by EVN, independent sources, and spare sources of big consumers. Thermoelectric plants will run at full capacity while maintaining safe water levels to avoid systematic collapse.
EVN will adjust maintenance plans to avoid unnecessary interruptions. It will take measures to ensure stable operation for new coal-fired power plants such as Son Dong, Cam Pha, Quang Ninh, and Hai Phong, intensify calling businesses for using diesel sources in order to reduce their consumption from the national grid.
Local power businesses have to call for people to save electricity and use it reasonably.
Severe shortage ends after record hot spell
EVN estimates that demand for power in the last week of June would not increase sharply, even decrease against the end of May and the first half of June due to less severe weather conditions and rainy season already coming in the south. Besides, the 10-day hot spell, hottest and longest in the last 60 years in the northern and central regions, ended.
Power supply in the last week of June may increase over the previous weeks, therefore the amount of power curtailed nationwide is expected to drop 5-7% over the first half of June. Almost problems of the new coal-run power plants in the north have been solved, therefore such plants (parts of Cam Pha, Hai Phong plants, Quang Ninh, and Son Dong plants) have operated again. Water flows into hydroelectric plants have not significantly changed, yet likely to increase soon since it has rained in northern localities.
As directed by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, EVN in May and June mobilized maximum capacity of all power sources. In the first 20 days of June, total yield reached 5.518 billion kWh or 275.9 million kWh/day (increasing 8.6% compared with the average daily amount of the same period in 2009). Of that amount, hydropower plants provided 1.093 billion kWh, coal-fueled power plants 0.906 billion kWh, compressed air turbine plants 2.534 billion kWh, FO oil-run power plants 142 million kWh, and 325 million kWh was imported from China, meeting some 90% of the total demand (305-310 million kWh/day).
The total capacity of EVN has reached 19,000 MW, including usable capacity of 16,000 - 16,500 MW (based on the yield of the newly-operated coal-fired power plants which are expected to run smoothly). The maximum additional charge in May and the fist half of June mounted to some 15,000 MW.
In theory, the EVN’s power system can meet the need for additional charge and standby purpose. However, hydroelectricity accounts for 34% of the total production (6,500 MW), while in the long dry season in 2010, water flows into hydroelectric plants’ reservoirs are only 50-60% of the average level in the last few years. The reservoirs have also had to let water out for agricultural production, seriously reducing water for power generation (equivalent to half of the average water level of many years). Such situation considerably reduces usable capacity, therefore negatively affect EVN’s electricity supply for production and consumption.