Connect remote islands
At the end of May, 2018, after nearly one year of taking over, managing and operating the power system in Truong Sa (Spratly Island) District, the Delegation of Vietnam Electricity came back to visit and motivate officers and soldiers working in 12 islands, island points and DK1 platform, simultaneously check the ensuring power supply to the army and the people in Spratly Island District.
Mr. Nguyen Cuong Lam, Deputy General Director of EVN said that after taking over the management of the power system in Spratly Island district (July, 2017), EVN had collaborated with the High Command of Vietnam People’s Navy to urgently replace, repair, maintain and upgrade the clean energy system on the islands. So far, the islands and DK1 platform have been stably supplied with 24/24 hours power.
In the coming time, EVN will continue to deploy technical and management solutions to upgrade the power system, enhance the power supply capacity to serve officers, soldiers and people in the island district, contributing to improving the quality of life, protection of sea and island sovereignty.
Electricity workers checking operating status of solar panels in Spratly Island District, May, 2018
By the end of 2017, EVN had taken over, managed the operation, supply power for 11/12 island districts across the country; particularly, due to long distance from the mainland, Bach Long Vy, Spratly, Con Co and Con Dao Islands were supplied renewable energy including: Solar power, wind power, diesel power, etc., the remaining island districts were supplied power from the national grid with efforts, overcoming difficulty, determination to supply power for the islands by staffs and employees of the Power sector.
In 1991, Hai Phong Power Company Limited (Northern Power Corporation) implemented the project of power supply from the national grid to Cat Hai Island (Cat Hai Island District, Hai Phong). This can be considered as the first step in the journey of power supply from the national grid to the remote islands implemented by the Sector. Then, PC Hai Phong continued to supply power from the national grid to Cat Ba Island in 1998, opening a new period of socio-economic development, particularly tourism development for the island.
EVN still continues to supply power “crossing waves to outlying islands” by submarine cable to the islands of Co To, Phu Quoc, Ly Son, etc. In particular, the most outstanding event is the project of 110kV submarine cable crossing the sea area of Ha Tien - Phu Quoc supplying power for Phu Quoc Island District (Kien Giang). This is the longest submarine cable line in Southeast Asia up to now.
Facilitate the marine and island economic development
It is easy to realize that, the island districts have strongly developed in economy, attracting investment; material and spiritual life of the people is remarkedly improved after power suppled.
In Bach Long Vi Island District (Hai Phong), prior to 2016, the power supply depended on three generators alternately operated with a capacity of about 1,000kVA. The loads were alternately cut off, low power supply reliability, making it difficult to all activities on the island. Since December 2015, after taking over and managing the power grid on the island, the Sector has increasingly invested and upgraded distribution power grid system. The people on the island could purchase electricity at the regulated prices by the State. At the same time, the power supply which has been increasingly stable with high reliability has motivated Bach Long Vi to develop its socio-economy, attracting domestic and foreign investment capital inflows.
Phu Quoc Island District (Kien Giang) has owned many resorts with thousands of rooms meeting the 5-star standard since this place was connected to the national grid. Each year, Phu Quoc Island District attracts thousands of visitors to the attractions, resorts; hundreds of thousands of billion dongs invested in tourism, entertainment services, etc. Particularly, Ngoc Island has been sharply changing and it will become the special economic zone of the country in the future.
Along with the power supply to island districts, many projects of power supply for island communes are also being implemented by EVN under the Program of power supply to rural, mountainous and island areas in the period of 2013-2020. By ensuring sufficient power supply for socio-economic development of the country, EVN is properly implementing its political tasks, supplying power to remote, rural, mountainous and island areas, making significant contributions to the economic development, maintaining security, national defense and sovereignty.
11/12 island districts have taken over the managing operation of power supply handed over by EVN include Van Don, Co To (Quang Ninh), Cat Hai, Bach Long Vy (Hai Phong), Ly Son (Quang Ngai), Phu Quy (Binh Thuan), Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Phu Quoc, Kien Hai (Kien Giang), Truong Sa (Khanh Hoa), Con Co (Quang Tri).