HCM City faces electricity shortages because supply cannot meet rising demand, warns the Electricity of Viet Nam. EVN forecasts that 500 KV-200 KV power grids will continue to be increasingly overloaded between next year and 2013.

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The overloading has already occurred at transformer stations and power lines, such as the 500 KV Phu Lam transformer station and the 220 KV Thu Duc-Cat Lai and Nha Be – South Sai Gon transmission lines, it says in its latest report. The Nhon Trach 1and Phu My power stations also run at full capacity.

The report warns the shortage will worsen from 2012 onwards as the South continues to need supplementary power from central and northern Viet Nam.

An EVN official said the southern region's demand for power was expected to rise by 17-18 per cent during the next three years as the need of electricity for industrial production surged 20 per cent and for residential use 7-10 per cent.

The shortage was often more severe during the dry season – December to May – when hydropower stations lacked water.

A total of 1,500-2,000MW was needed to fully satisfy the increasing demand but only one new plant – Nhon Trach 2 with a capacity of 750MW – was scheduled to begin generating electricity next year, he said.

Demand would probably be satisfied after 2013 when two new plants in southern Tra Vinh and Ninh Thuan provinces began working.

EVN planned to increase the supply it draws from neighbouring provinces such as Binh Duong and Long An while awaiting completion of the new plants.

It would also construct new or upgrade transformer stations and power transmission lines to transmit power from the North to the South to ease the overloading, the official said.

The HCM City People's Committee has instructed agencies and authorities as well as district people's committees to overcome all obstacles to create favourable conditions for the construction.

The plan is to have 500KV O Mon-Nha Be and 220KV Nhon Trach – Cat Lai transmission lines in operation in the first quarter of next year.

EVN plans to supply HCM City with 16.3 – 16.5 billion KWh of electricity next year with the stability of industrial production and supplies to residents given priority. 

Source: VNS