The National Load Dispatch Center has taken the initiative in taking a lot of solutions in order to operate the power system in a safe and reliable fashion – Photo: Thanh Huyen
Reporter: What impacts has the scorching hot weather in the North and in the Centre had on the power system during the past days, Sir?
Mr. Nguyen Duc Ninh: During the first and the second of June 2017, the temperature background was generally in the range of 36 - 39 degree Celsius, particularly the temperature reached 40 degree Celsius in Hanoi. The scorching hot weather caused a critical increase in the electricity consumption demand of the country.
In details, the maximum capacity amounted to approximately 30,200 MW, experiencing an increase by 13.8% against last week and 10% against the same period last year. The generation output achieved around 631 million kWh, rising by 11.8% compared with that of last week and 10.41% compared with the same period last year.
The Northern regional power system alone recorded the highest ever data in the history when the power consumption amount reached nearly 290 million kWh (increasing by 10% against the same period last year).
Reporter: What solutions that EVN/NLDC has taken in order to ensure the power system operation in a safe and stable manner as well as secure sufficient electricity supply to the people all over the country?
Mr. Nguyen Duc Ninh: Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has absolutely taken their own initiative in securing electricity supply to the socio-economic development requirements of the country and the residential uses of the people by their diligent preparation activities right from the beginning of the year.
Some specific solutions are: to use water in a saving manner to sustain hydropower reservoirs at the highest possible water level, particularly reservoirs in the Centre and in the South until the end of March 2017, so that there would be adequate water to meet the power generation requirements of the system as well as the water use demands of downstream areas in the peak months of hot weather; arranged and concentrated on performing maintenance activities of power plants and power grids right in the end of 2016 and in the first quarter of 2017 so as to secure that the power system would be always in the highest availability; to strengthen the transmission capacity of 500 kV transmission lines, particularly Ha Tinh - Da Nang, Vung Ang - Da Nang transmission line sections to secure transmission of electricity from the North to the Centre and the South.
Besides, EVN has drastically directed and created the best conditions to put the power units of Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Power Plant (with the total capacity of 1,244 MW) into operation on schedule. In the four first months, the Plant had generated roughly 1.35 billion kWh, remarkably contributing to the power supply security in the South.
Furthermore, EVN has developed an operation mode of the national power system in the most extreme situation such as the case that scorching hot weather lasts long and occurs simultaneously in all three regions, in order to well prepare emergency response measures.
Reporter: This is the first heat wave in the year, if more heat waves continue occurring with higher intensity, if EVN/NLDC can secure electricity supply to the whole country, Sir?
Mr. Nguyen Duc Ninh: This is the first spreading heat wave this year. The recorded data show that the second of June 2017 had the highest ever power consumption demand since the beginning of the year (both in terms of capacity and output), with the growth rate of the Northern power system at around 17 - 18% compared with the year 2016. However, this data is more optimistic than the extreme operation mode scenario that EVN/NLDC contemplated (in which the output of around 658 million kWh, peak capacity of 31,702 MW, growth rate of the Northern power system roughly at 20% in comparison with the day of the highest power consumption in 2016).
EVN as well as NLDC will secure stable electricity supply across the country, however, in order to relieve pressure on the power system, we expect and recommend that the people should improve their sense of energy saving by consuming electricity economically and efficiently, particularly in hot and sunny days and at peak hours.