HCMC – Vietnam needs to make a drastic shift to thermo-power generation and lessen its reliance on hydro-power sources if the country is to avoid widespread outage in the dry season, said an industry expert.
Tran Viet Ngai, chairman of the Vietnam Energy Association (VEA), told the Daily on the phone on Monday that the nation’s structure of power supply still posed a danger for the economy as hydroelectric stations were still responsible for over 60% of total power output.
To ensure energy security for the country in the coming years, power generation restructuring is imperative, he told the Daily after the commencement of the thermo-power plant Duyen Hai 1 in Tra Vinh Province on Sunday.
“Hydroelectric plants around the country are much dependent on weather. Vietnam has been warned of climate change impacts, so I think rainfalls will decline in the coming years, and drought will last longer,” said Ngai.
Ngai commented that the Government had become aware of the situation and has therefore supplemented 13 thermoelectric projects with total output of 13,800MW into the Sixth National Master Power Development Plan. This added output is nearly equivalent to the current total power supply of the country.
Under the assignment of the Government, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) will build four thermoelectric plants, PetroVietnam another four plants, and Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) three plants between now and 2015.
Until now, only EVN has started work on two projects, while the other investors have not made a move, Ngai said.
EVN on Sunday started work on Duyen Hai 1 thermoelectric project in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh with a designed output of 1,245MW at a cost of VND19.2 trillion, or some US$1.5 billion. The group last month also started construction of Vinh Tan 2 thermoelectric plant in Binh Thuan Province with the same capacity.
These two thermoelectric plants are expected to supply power to the national grid from the middle of 2014. It is not known when EVN will commence work on the two remaining projects, Mong Duong 1 and Duyen Hai 3.
“If the Government does not urge investors to quickly start construction of these 13 thermoelectric plants for completion by 2015, the country will struggle with more severe power shortages,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, power shortage occurs regularly from April to August when the rainy season is about to begin. The situation earlier this year was particularly critical as the long drought badly affected operations of hydropower plants in northern provinces.
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