Mining of coal at Ha Tu Coal Joint Stock Company under Vinacomin. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) and Dong Bac Corporation strive to supply about 48.35 million tonnes of coal for thermal power plants, an increase of about 10-15% compared to 2022.
That volume will contribute to stabilising the supply of coal for the production of electricity.
Vinacomin expects to supply 39.7 million tonnes of coal for the electricity industry in 2023, an increase of more than 1.2 million tonnes compared to the total volume at signed contracts at the beginning of this year.
In the first six months of 2023, Vinacomin is estimated to provide about 21 million tonnes of coal for the thermal power plants, up 15% over the same period in 2022.
In May alone, TKV made additional deliveries of about 300,000 tonnes of coal for the thermal power plants of the Vietnam Electricity (EVN).
Besides the volume of signed contracts, in June and July, Vinacomin estimates it will supplement plants with an average of 10,000 tonnes per month each.
Dong Bac Corporation under the Ministry of National Defence has directed its member companies to increase coal production to supplement the power sector.
The corporation reported that it expected to sell over 5.7 million tonnes of coal in the first six months of the year, reaching 57% of the year plan.
In June alone, the corporation delivered nearly one million tonnes of coal to thermal power plants, the highest level ever.
The corporation plans to provide 8.65 million tonnes of coal for the thermal power plants in 2023, an increase of about 800,000 tonnes compared to the contracts signed at the beginning of the year.
Due to a lack of water at hydropower reservoirs, hydroelectricity plants have had to operate in moderation, leading to a lack of electricity. To deal with this situation, the thermal power plants nationwide and, in particular, the northern region of the country, are operating at full capacity while implementing alternating power cuts.
To avoid power cuts in the hot summer months of June, July, and August, the Prime Minister requested coal exploiters and DongBac Corporation to ensure enough coal supply for electricity production.
Thermal power plants need to strengthen efficiency and minimise halting of operations for repair and maintenance, except for cases of force majeure, and to urgently fix problems to operate at maximum capacity.
Quang Ninh is now a thermal power centre in the North with seven thermal power plants operating at full capacity to meet increasing electricity demand.
Those thermal power plants produced a total of 16.7 billion kWh in the first five months, equal to 15% of the total electricity output of the country and 35% of the electricity produced by coal-fired power plants nationwide. All electricity output is supplied to the national grid./.