Story of storing electricity and water on Truong Sa archipelago

Covering clean energy

Ship 490 docked at Song Tu Tay Island - the island located in the far North.Spratly Islandsat dusk. Setting foot on the island, what impressed us was not only the peaceful scenery and fresh air, but also the lights that were lit up on the roads. The buildings, houses, lighthouses… were glowing at night, all activities on the island were similar to those on the mainland when there was electricity.

The ship heads towards Song Tu Tay Island. Photo: Quang An

Hundreds of nautical miles away, bringing national grid electricity to the Truong Sa archipelago seems impossible. Therefore, the electricity source for training and living on the island is mainly clean energy. Walking on the roads of Song Tu Tay, Sinh Ton, Sinh Ton Dong islands... it is not difficult to see wind fans dozens of meters high rotating continuously; on the constructions and roofs of the people, each solar panel is covered... These are two devices that collect natural clean energy, wind and sun, to generate electricity - a particularly valuable energy source on the Truong Sa archipelago.

Electricity helps Song Tu Tay Island light up at night. Photo: Quang An

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Truong - Commander, Chairman of the People's Committee of Song Tu Tay island commune said: In the past, life for officers, soldiers and people was very difficult. When there was no wind power and solar power system, the only way to get electricity on the island was to run on diesel generators, the electricity generated was low and unstable, sometimes only generating electricity for 2-3 hours, and had to be refueled continuously. At that time, electricity had to be prioritized for important tasks such as combat readiness training, communication, etc. Since the availability of clean energy sources, the electricity on the island has been maintained more stably, and the lives of soldiers and people on the island have improved significantly.

Rows of windmills stretch across the Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: Quang An

Having been on the island for more than 4 years, Ngoc Duc Phuong's family, like many other households on Sinh Ton Island, has purchased and equipped their family with many necessary appliances for daily life such as televisions, refrigerators, fans, etc. Phuong shared: "Previously, when the power supply was unstable, the appliances were constantly interrupted when in use, the family had to take advantage of the hours when there was electricity to prioritize lighting, cooking, and charging phones for convenient communication. Since the power system has been upgraded, the family has had more electricity to watch TV, use electric fans, refrigerators, etc."

In Truong Sa archipelago, electricity is considered the most valuable energy. In addition to lighting up at night, electricity has helped officers and soldiers watch television, access information and knowledge about current events, economics and society at home and abroad, eliminating the gap between the mainland and the islands. In addition, because of the year-round sun and wind, preserving food is difficult. Since the electricity source has been stable, soldiers and people on the archipelago have been equipped with refrigerators and freezers to ensure food for a long time.

Solar panels are installed in large numbers on the Truong Sa archipelago. Photo: Quang An

In fact, the development of clean energy in the Truong Sa archipelago has great potential due to the many hours of sunshine and strong winds. However, due to the influence of seawater and saltwater from the sea, wind turbines or solar panels will wear out over time, so there are high requirements for management and maintenance. Operators must always seek and learn to supplement their knowledge so that the equipment always operates smoothly, safely and effectively. Every year, the Vietnam Electricity Group sends officers and employees to inspect, repair, maintain and replace damaged power generation equipment on the island.

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Danh Hoang - Commander of Sinh Ton Island said: The electricity source in Truong Sa is especially important, so the soldiers and people on the island are always aware of saving electricity, considering it a top priority. The island has clearly informed officers and soldiers not to waste electricity, affecting the power source on the island; implementing electricity saving measures such as installing automatic on/off lighting equipment, making the most of sunlight for lighting, voluntarily turning off electrical equipment when not in use... Thanks to that, the power source on the island has been maintained stably.

Save every drop of water

If electricity is considered the decisive factor for all training and living activities on the island, fresh water is also considered the source of life. In the middle of the ocean, covered by salty sea water all year round, drops of fresh water are always cherished and treasured by the soldiers and people on the island.

Freshwater reservoir on Song Tu Tay Island. Photo: Quang An

According to research, water sources on the islands in Truong Sa are provided by three main sources, including rainwater, well water and machines that filter salt water into fresh water, but each of these water sources has certain difficulties.

Rainwater is the most used water source in Truong Sa. Water tanks with a capacity of hundreds of cubic meters are built on every island, and in addition, households have water tanks and reservoirs. However, fresh water is only really sufficient during the rainy season. During the dry season, with continuous heat, the water source is still not guaranteed.

Soldiers on the island stockpile fresh water. Photo: Quang An

As for well water, on islands like Song Tu Tay and Sinh Ton, there are brackish water wells that were drilled decades ago, but the water here still has a certain salinity, and cannot be used to water plants or increase production. If bathing or washing with this water source, you must also rinse it with fresh water once more, otherwise your clothes and utensils will rust and fade.

In recent years, the islands in the Truong Sa archipelago have been equipped with seawater filtration systems to turn them into fresh water, and the lack of fresh water on the islands has been somewhat improved. However, even with the machines, the amount of water that can be filtered continuously cannot be as abundant as on the mainland, not to mention that the machines often rust due to corrosion by sea salt, and water filtration also depends on electricity and fuel sources, etc.

All households have fresh water tanks. Photo: Quang An

Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Nam, Deputy Political Commissar of Song Tu Tay Island, said: Although the fresh water source has improved compared to before, it is still necessary to save. After bathing, fresh water is collected and used to water plants and vegetables, increasing production. The island also plants more trees and creates a roof to minimize the evaporation of fresh water on hot sunny days.

Soldiers on the island increase production. Photo: Quang An

In recent years, since taking the initiative in clean energy and fresh water sources, the lives of soldiers and civilians on the Truong Sa archipelago have improved significantly. The island is lit up every night, officers and soldiers can watch TV and listen to the radio regularly. People's daily activities and medical examination and treatment, teaching, and communication with the mainland on the island are also much more convenient. Thanks to that, the material and spiritual lives of soldiers and civilians on the islands have also been constantly improved, adding to the will and determination to confidently stick to the sea, firmly maintaining the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland./.