Lesson 1: National Key Projects
The 500kV circuit 3 project connecting Quang Trach (Quang Binh) and Pho Noi (Hung Yen) is a special national project that has leveraged the combined strength of the entire political system, undertaking a massive undertaking in a short timeframe, creating a significant milestone for circuit 3 and a miracle for the electricity sector. The project is of crucial importance in enhancing the inter-regional transmission grid connectivity between the North, Central, and South, contributing to ensuring electricity supply for the North and guaranteeing national energy security.
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ChiIt's decided – we're in agreement.
Over the years, Vietnam's socio-economic development has been strong, requiring an average annual growth rate of 10-12% in electricity supply. At certain times, due to extreme weather conditions, a lack of proactive and flexible management, and limited transmission system capacity, localized power shortages occurred in the North in early 2023. This directly impacted production, business, and people's lives, and negatively affected the attraction and environment for foreign investment.
Learning from this experience, since June 2023, the Government and the Prime Minister have issued many decisive directives, requiring ministries, agencies, and businesses to urgently implement many synchronized solutions to ensure sufficient electricity supply for the North during the peak months of 2024 and subsequent years, preventing any electricity shortages under any circumstances.
One of the crucial solutions is to expedite the construction of the 500kV power line project, circuit 3, from Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen). This large-scale project has a total length of 519 km with 2 circuits, a total investment of over 22,300 billion VND, passing through 9 provinces, 43 districts, and 211 communes; requiring the construction of 1,177 poles and 513 spans; and needing 705,000 m of overhead power.3concrete; 209,000 tons of iron and steel; approximately 1.83 million cubic meters need to be recovered.2Land, relocation, support, resettlement, and production stabilization for 5,415 households.
Recognizing the importance of the 500kV Circuit 3 Transmission Line Project, from the very beginning of its construction and throughout its implementation, the Government has provided decisive and close guidance, resolving all difficulties and mobilizing significant resources for the project. Ministries, sectors, localities, units, and the entire political system have all actively participated and received the support of the people and businesses for the project.
Over the course of more than six months, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired five meetings and personally inspected the construction site three times, urging units to expedite progress. Under the decisive direction of the Prime Minister, the Government Office, the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises, the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Construction... and relevant localities have actively participated in quickly implementing procedures, contributing to accelerating the project's completion progress.
In Nghe An province, the 500kV circuit 3 power line from Quang Trach to Pho Noi, spanning nearly 100 km with 202 tower foundation locations, passes through 6 districts and towns: Nam Dan, Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, and Hoang Mai town. Within the province, 53 households are affected by land acquisition for the project (19 households in Nam Dan district, 9 in Nghi Loc district, 2 in Yen Thanh district, 19 in Dien Chau district, and 4 in Hoang Mai town). Of these, 18 households have requested resettlement land (1 in Nam Dan district, 5 in Nghi Loc district, and 12 in Dien Chau district).
Identifying the implementation of the project as a crucial political task has been a top priority in recent times.
In implementing the project, a massive amount of work related to land use planning, conversion of forest land use, compensation and resettlement plans, and cadastral surveying documents were gradually resolved.
Comrade Tran Thanh Hai - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said that from the very beginning, the province established a Steering Committee for Compensation, Support and Resettlement, chaired by Comrade Le Hong Vinh, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. After its establishment, the Committee issued more than 100 documents to effectively direct the implementation of compensation for land clearance, conversion of forest land use, and support for electricity construction.
In the land clearance process, under the direct guidance of the Provincial Party Secretary and the active participation of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and local authorities at all levels, Nghe An province mobilized the entire political system with determination and decisive direction to focus on completing the project on schedule as required by the Prime Minister.
Nghe An province has always been proactive, especially in approving compensation plans, land clearance, forest land use conversion, and other related matters, following the principle: Approve and implement projects that meet the necessary conditions first, and implement projects that do not yet meet the conditions later; hand over the land to the investor as each stage is completed.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and mobilization efforts to gain public consensus and support for the project implementation; and to enhance security and order in the areas where the project is being implemented. Close and coordinated cooperation between agencies, units, and departments, especially the investor and contractors, is essential for the successful completion of the task.
By early March 2024, right after the Lunar New Year, Nghe An province had completed the mobilization and handover of 202 tower foundation locations and 73/203 tower spans of 2 component projects of the 500kV circuit 3 power line; implemented land acquisition for 53 affected households, including arranging resettlement as requested for 18 households located along the construction route in the districts of Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu and Hoang Mai town.
In addition, the leaders of Nghe An province, specifically the Provincial Party Secretary, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, and the Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, regularly visited the site to inspect and expedite progress, promptly encouraging the morale of engineers, workers, and other personnel on-site. They also directed and supported the investor and contractor in organizing the project's construction in the locality based on the "four on-site" principle (construction machinery, general labor, construction materials in the foundation phase, and logistics).
The Provincial Party Secretary chaired a working session with the leaders of three districts: Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, and Yen Thanh; along with leaders from the Departments of Industry and Trade, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources and Environment, and the National Power Transmission Corporation to hear about the overall progress and any obstacles or recommendations regarding the implementation of the 500kV circuit 3 power line passing through these three districts. In response to emerging issues and situations, provincial leaders were immediately present at the site to address them; upon receiving reports of problems, the province promptly conducted inspections and directed immediate action without waiting for written reports.
MiracleD500kV Circuit 3 Transmission Line Project
With such a large construction volume, the project should have taken at least 3 to 4 years to complete, while the government's urgent goal was to complete the project within 6 months. The project faced numerous difficulties, challenges, and obstacles, including adverse weather conditions, and many stages seemed impossible to complete.
In accordance with the Prime Minister's guiding principle, "the wire doesn't wait for the pole, the pole doesn't wait for the foundation, and the foundation can't be built by just one person," the unwavering will and determination of the head of government have spread to all sectors, levels, and forces involved in the construction.
With everyone working together in the spirit of "the foundation doesn't wait for the pole, the pole doesn't wait for the wire" and "strength comes from the people," "turning nothing into something, turning difficulties into ease, turning the impossible into the possible," the 500kV circuit 3 transmission line project through Nghe An has been implemented urgently; the tasks have been carried out synchronously and smoothly.
Despite the scorching heat, the investor, contractors, construction units, and especially the engineers and workers on the construction site, are always focused on construction with the spirit of "overcoming the sun and rain," "eating quickly, sleeping urgently," working continuously 24/7, "3 shifts, 4 teams," "working day and night is not enough," "working through Tet, holidays, and festivals," and "only discussing work, not retreating," as directed by the Prime Minister.
This demonstrates the decisive involvement of the political system, the determination of the Government, and the direction of the Prime Minister, which have been transformed into action slogans at all construction sites and locations along the power line, as well as into practical actions by the participating construction units.
Eating, resting, and working right at the foot of the construction site all demonstrate a spirit of urgent labor; unity, overcoming all difficulties, and working together to implement the emulation movement themed "5 bests": Fastest progress, Best quality, Safest and most economical, Most creative, and Best care for people's lives, launched by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Vietnam Electricity Group.
Engineer Dao Dinh Duong – Construction Team Leader of Song Da 11 Joint Stock Company, said: "With 8 foundation construction sites located in the high, rugged mountainous terrain of Khanh Son commune, Nam Dan district, it poses a challenge for the engineers and workers of Song Da 11 Joint Stock Company. Ensuring the safe transportation of machinery and equipment to the construction site, and promptly providing stable accommodation and meals for workers so they can work long-term with peace of mind, is a top priority for the company. The project is located on high hills and mountains, making construction very difficult. Therefore, we have to arrange for workers to eat and drink on-site; provide food and water on-site to ensure their health and allow for continuous 3-shift, 4-team construction."
Engineer Phan Tuan Hiep - Commander of Package 42 in Duc Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) shared: "As the contractor for this package, the unit has simultaneously implemented construction in accordance with the Prime Minister's directive to mobilize local capital and work overtime and extra shifts. In particular, the construction process has been very favorable thanks to the very active support from the local authorities and households regarding the construction site."
Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, General Director of EVN, pointed out the difficulties in the project implementation process, such as the erratic weather in Nghe An during May, June, and July, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds significantly affecting the construction progress.
The project also required a very tight construction schedule and a huge amount of materials and equipment that needed to be supplied within a short period. In addition, due to the specific requirements of erecting poles and pulling cables, which demanded skilled personnel capable of working at height, the Group mobilized all its personnel to participate and required contractors to carefully plan and allocate manpower along the entire route.
Faced with difficulties and challenges, in order to complete the 500kV circuit 3 transmission line on schedule, the Prime Minister requested localities, agencies, and units to get involved with specific assigned tasks to promptly resolve obstacles. "The driving force comes from innovation, methods, and approaches. Instead of just one agency or unit working, we must mobilize many agencies and units with the motto 'ideology must be clear, determination must be high, effort must be great, action must be decisive, and work must be focused and targeted'," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized.
A highlight is that since the commencement of the 500kV circuit 3 transmission line project, from the top leaders of the Group to the leaders of EVNNPT, they have been traveling to each location daily to encourage the workers and expedite progress along the entire line. As a result, the workers have always been enthusiastic in their work despite the extremely harsh weather conditions in the North, especially when temperatures in many places reach over 40 degrees Celsius. Overcoming the bad weather, the project management boards have urged contractors to accelerate construction under favorable weather conditions, ensuring food and accommodation for workers near the foundation sites with appropriate working hours.
After a rapid six-month construction period, overcoming countless difficulties and challenges, and with the unwavering will and determination of its people, the national key project - the 500kV circuit 3 power line through Nghe An - has reached completion during the historic autumn days of the country.
(To be continued...)
