Shrimp farmers in Nghe An use massive generators to cope with power outages.

Power outageThe continuous operation of the water pumps in recent days, and the possibility of it continuing in the coming days, is causing anxiety among shrimp farmers. For intensively farmed shrimp in ponds, if the water pumps stop working for even a few minutes, all the shrimp will float to the surface, resulting in losses of billions of dong.

Mr. Nguyen Cuong, the owner of the shrimp farm, said that this 150 kW generator was purchased for 300 million VND to power the farm whenever there is a power outage. Photo: Xuan Hoang

To proactively prepare for the rolling power outages experienced in recent days, many large-scale shrimp farm owners in Nghe An province have invested hundreds of millions of dong in purchasing powerful generators.

Mr. Nguyen Cuong, residing in Hamlet 2, Dien Trung Commune, Dien Chau District, who owns a 5-hectare shrimp farm, said that he has been involved in this profession for a long time.shrimp farmingOver the decades, he has accumulated a lot of experience, especially during the summer when power outages are common. Currently, the entire area of ​​his ponds and lagoons has been invested in high-tech shrimp farming, requiring a large daily electricity consumption. Therefore, whenever there is a power outage, he has to use a high-capacity generator to keep dozens of water pumps and other shrimp farming equipment running.

With 5 hectares of ponds used for high-tech shrimp farming, a considerable amount of electricity is required to operate the equipment. Photo: Xuan Hoang

"I previously bought 2generator"We have one 15kW generator and one 100kW generator, but they only cover two-thirds of the pond area. To power the entire 5 hectares, we need a higher-capacity generator. Therefore, I recently invested 300 million VND to buy an additional 150kW generator. This allows us to use the generator appropriately based on the existing pond area. With this solution, my family no longer worries about power outages; however, the cost of running the generator is quite high," Mr. Nguyen Cuong shared.

For smaller-scale shrimp farmers, coping strategies during power outages are also a top priority. Mr. Ho Dinh Thang, a shrimp farm owner in Quynh Bang commune, Quynh Luu district, expressed his concern: "The prolonged, rotating power outages of the past few days force shrimp farmers to spend many times more on fuel to run generators."

For shrimp farming, water aerators need to be operated regularly to provide sufficient oxygen in the pond. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Thang's family currently raises shrimp in two ponds, requiring the use of four water aerators. He explained that a 15 kW generator is sufficient for operating one aerator, but a 50 kW generator is needed for operating all four. Therefore, Mr. Thang has invested in four generators: three 15 kW generators and one 50 kW generator.

"From mid-May until now, there have been frequent rolling power outages. To save the shrimp, my family has invested tens of millions of dong to buy fuel to run the generator. If the power outages continue, the cost of buying fuel will be very high. Because, for shrimp farming, the water aerators need to run almost continuously 24/7, only stopping when feeding the shrimp," Mr. Thang said.

During the hot summer months, in addition to water fans and other equipment, it's necessary to invest in shelters to keep the shrimp safe. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Shrimp farming is a profession that requires significant investment, from pond preparation to shrimp fry, feed, and supplies. Therefore, if risks arise, farm owners can suffer losses of billions of dong. This summer, prolonged rolling power outages have forced shrimp farm owners to increase costs, resulting in losses in many ways, while the current price of commercial shrimp is very low, only 130,000 - 160,000 dong/kg.