EVN ensures sufficient electricity for production and consumption in 2014.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, although it is necessary to ensure water supply for irrigation during the winter-spring crop season, the electricity sector has balanced sufficient resources to serve production and consumption in February and throughout 2014.

Monitoring power plant operations at the Power System Control Center. Photo: EVN

Estimated electricity production in January reached 10.02 billion kWh, a decrease of 6.6% compared to December 2013 and only an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year (due to the 5-day Lunar New Year holiday in January).

Also in January, commercial electricity consumption was estimated at 9.2 billion kWh, a decrease of 2.3% compared to December 2013 and an increase of 1.5% compared to the same period in 2013. Of this, the proportion of electricity used for industry and construction, as well as electricity used for residential consumption, both decreased.

Specifically, electricity consumption for industry and construction is estimated at 5.0 billion kWh, a decrease of 2.5% compared to December 2013 but an increase of 2.3% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 49.9% of total commercial electricity output; electricity consumption for administration and residential use is estimated at 3.25 billion kWh, a decrease of nearly 2% compared to December 2013 but an increase of 1.6% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 32.4% of total commercial electricity output.

To ensure sufficient power supply for the southern provinces, on January 15th, Unit 1 of the Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Power Plant, with a capacity of 622 MW, was connected to the national power grid, thereby helping to reduce the amount of electricity that needs to be transmitted from the North to the South.

In addition, the Ban Chat hydropower plant is also having its remaining construction work completed by contractors so that the entire project can be fully inspected and approved in January 2014. The Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plant is also striving to be synchronously completed in January 2014.

In 2014, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) also announced its basic objectives, particularly emphasizing ensuring the progress of construction of urgent power grid projects for the South and increasing commercial electricity output to 126.5 billion kWh, a 10% increase compared to the previous year, in order to fundamentally address the electricity shortage problem during the dry season in the southern provinces.

Previously, to prepare for the power generation plan for the dry season and the entire year of 2014, EVN had developed a plan to balance power generation capacity and load demand, and also proposed six power supply options for 2014. Accordingly, commercial electricity output would increase by 10-11.5%, and the frequency of water inflow into hydropower reservoirs would be 50-75% of the design flow based on the last five years of operation.

According to Vietnam+