Focus on troubleshooting power plants
Accordingly, in Official Dispatch No. 3596/EVN-KTSX-TTD dated June 27, 2023, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) required power generation units to concentrate manpower, materials, and necessary conditions to fix and put the power units and boilers that are having problems at Pha Lai 1 and 2 thermal power plants into operation soon; fix the norm-below power loss phenomenon during operation due to auxiliary systems’ breakdowns, input fuel’s quality, and cooling water temperature. At the same time, the units need to increase the checking and monitoring frequency of the on-site equipment operation to ensure the operational reliability of the generating units, early detection, and handling of abnormalities so that no problems occur, especially subjective failures caused by human error.
Units must have ready plans, human resources, materials, and equipment at the plant to promptly handle if an incident occurs in order to restore the power unit’s operation as soon as possible. In addition, maintenance of thermal power plants has to carry out to ensure safe operation and improve the availability of power units for the remainder of 2023 according to the approved plan.
From the beginning of the year until now, the total cumulative power output from thermal power sources has reached about 70 billion kWh, of which thermal power in the North has reached more than 44 billion kWh.
Ensuring coal fuel for power generation
The coal-fuel ensuring for power generation has been directed by the Prime Minister in Directive 29/CT-TTg and concretized in many directive documents of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. For implementation, EVN required units to strictly implement and take full responsibility for arranging coal sources for power production, ensuring sufficient and stable supply for the operation of power plants in 2023 and the next years. For the coal amount that exceeds that one supplied by the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (TKV) and the Northeast Corporation, the investor of thermal power plants is responsible for arranging to ensure the stable, reliable, safe operation of the plant and meets the mobilization requirements of the National Load Dispatch Center (A0).
Proactively develop response scenarios for power supply
A0 proactively develops and regularly updates flexible scenarios to cope with difficulties in power supply, ensuring the power system security; At the same time, it is necessary to closely monitor the weather and hydrology of hydropower reservoirs and the operation of power sources in order to flexibly adjust and regulate the water level of large hydropower reservoirs to ensure the mobilized capacity and adjust power system frequency.
According to the scenario developed by A0, from now until July 20, 2023, the power system can meet the load demand in the North. However, in recent days, the Northern region has been facing the intense heat phenomenon, which is expected to last until July 12, with the peak likely in the period from July 6 to July 8 and the highest temperature up to 39 to 40oC. It is expected that during the hot weather from July 2 to July 12, the load in the North can reach an average of about 440 million kWh/day (the highest is about 470 million kWh/day with a peak capacity of 23,000MW).
In recent days, the reappearance of hot weather has rapidly increased power consumption and peak capacity.
About hydrological situation and power output of hydropower reservoirs
As of 0:00 on June 30, 2023, the stored output in the Northern hydropower reservoirs is 2,065 million kWh. In the coming days, the exploitation of Lai Chau Reservoir shall be increased to raise the water level of Son La Reservoir to increase the available capacity; Tuyen Quang Reservoir shall be exploited to support the regional power grid; Hoa Binh Reservoir shall continue to operate to meet the Northern load in the coming hot days as well as to maintain the water level of the reservoirs within a safe range to welcome the main season flood.
Changes in water levels in some large Northern hydropower reservoirs in the past 7 days
If the above solutions are implemented synchronously, the power supply situation shall be ensured, meeting the national and northern load demand. However, in order to proactively respond to extreme and disadvantageous situations such as hot weather over 38oC long-lasting, loads exceeding 23,000MW, unfavorable hydrology, etc., it is necessary to continue to implement drastic and effective energy-saving solutions.