The miracle of Power sector in the 90s of the 20th century
On May 27, 1994, at the National Loads Dispatch Center (A0), Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet ordered The North-South 500kV Circuit 1 transmission line to be energized. The project is considered a miracle of the Vietnam Power sector in the 90s of the 20th century because it established unprecedented records such as a very large construction scale of nearly 1,500km, complex technology, and both design and construction in just 2 years.
The project also made its mark with the contributions of several comrades such as Minister Vu Ngoc Hai, Minister Thai Phung Ne, Deputy Minister Le Liem, Academician Dr. Professor Tran Dinh Long, comrades Truong Bao Ngoc, Le Quang Huyen, Le Nguyen Dinh, Nguyen Viet Xuan, Nguyen Van Chau, Ho Anh To, Tran Viet Ngai, Dau Duc Khoi, Ho Van Thai, Le Van Tao, Nguyen Ba Hoa, Dinh Mien, Ho Thi Bich Phuong, and so on.
Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet inspects construction site of North-South 500kV transmission line
With the vision of the head of the Government, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet understands that the construction of the 500kV transmission line will connect regions throughout the country, facilitating the development of mountainous areas, and contributing to narrowing the gap between regions.
Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet inspects construction site of Hoa Binh 500kV substation in March 1994.
With bold, groundbreaking, and accurate historical decisions, especially the mark of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, The North-South 500kV circuit 1 transmission line project was built and became a milestone of the Vietnam Power sector.
The construction and operation of the 500kV transmission line has contributed to regulating capacity, overcoming power shortages, and supplying stable electricity to localities, especially in the Central and Southern regions.
The project brought outstanding economic benefits compared to other large power projects and was the first and only project in the Power sector to recover capital the fastest, up to that time. In less than 3 years, the total investment capital of more than USD 500 million was recovered, while initially expected to take 5-10 years. The 500kV power transmission system facilitates the exploitation of power plants with a system-wide economic efficiency much higher than previous separate regional power transmission systems. Total fuel costs have significantly decreased compared to the period before the consolidated system. Thanks to the 500kV power transmission system, the proportion of power sources using liquid fuel compared to the total electricity received output in the South and Central regions has decreased from 37% in 1993 to 16.6% in 1995.
The successful construction and operation of The North-South 500kV power transmission system is also an important maturity step for the Vietnam Power sector in the fields of research, survey, design, construction, operation management, and international cooperation.
After more than 10 years of operating The North-South 500kV circuit 1 transmission line, on September 23, 2005, the Vietnam Power sector marked a new miracle: Completing energizing and putting into operation The North-South 500kV circuit 2 transmission line. This is also a project undertaken entirely by Vietnamese officials and workers from design, construction, steel pole fabrication, supervision, and acceptance, confirming the ability of Vietnamese officials and engineers to absorb and master new science and technology for large and highly technical projects.
Next, the Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong 500kV transmission lines, the 500kV circuit 3 transmission line section Vung Ang - Quang Trach - Doc Soi - Pleiku 2 continue to be invested in and built. All form the "backbone" of the national power system in both directions, improving the safety and stability of power supply and power quality while facilitating optimal exploitation of existing power sources in the system.
Continue writing epic
At the end of the dry season in 2023, the complicated weather developments and severe heat in the North led to a sudden increase in electricity demand and the North-South power transmission system continuously operates overloaded, leading to stress in the power system operations. Faced with that situation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has repeatedly directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade, EVN, and relevant parties to urgently have solutions to ensure sufficient power supply, with special emphasis on the need to ensure investment construction progress of the 500kV circuit 3 transmission line project from Quang Trach to Pho Noi in June 2024.
Poles erection for Quang Trach - Pho Noi 500kV circuit 3 transmission line project
The determination of the Government and the Standing Government is to complete and put this special project into operation in June 2024.
With bravery, intelligence, and enthusiasm for the sacred electricity of the Fatherland, officials, engineers, and workers of the Power sector and the forces participating in Quang Trach - Pho Noi 500kV circuit 3 transmission line project have been trying to continue to write the epic about the revolutionary spirit of the reform era on this historical work.