Thuan Chau Power Department (under Son la Power Company) is installing power meters for households in Chieng Bom commune.
Son La Power Company says that, by the end of January 2017, there are 90.9% of households in the whole Son La province using electricity supplied from the national grid, of which 89.1% live in rural areas. This ratio is much lower than the average rural households being electrified in the Northern provinces (98.6%).
During 2016 – 2020, it is anticipated that 15,954 unelectrified households in 291 mountain villages all over the province will be electrified. This project is of big scale, including construction of 447.2 km long medium voltage power lines, 526 km long low voltage power lines, and 217 substations. The total investment cost of the project is VND 842 billion, of which VND 130 billion is from medium term investment capital, VND 126 billion is from the counterpart fund of the province, and VND 586 billion is anticipated from ODA financial resources.
According to Son la Power Company, in 2016, design and construction of three bid packages under the Project were implemented to supply electricity to 1,619 households at Co Noi (Mai Son), Chieng Xuan (Van Ho), Pu Bau, Yen Hung, Chieng En (Song Ma), with the total investment cost of VND 49.8 billion, expected for completion in the second quarter of 2017. This year, further packages under the Project will be designed and constructed to supply electricity to 2,013 households at Muong Va (Sop Cop), Phong Lai (Thuan Chau), Gia Phu (Phu Yên), Chieng Khua, Long Sap (Moc Chau) and Chieng On, Phieng Khoai (Yen Chau), with the investment cost of more than VND 92 billion, to be concluded in the second quarter of 2018.
In addition, the Company will commence construction of electrification project for unelectrified households in 4 districts within reservoir zones of Hoa Binh and Son La hydropower plants, including Thuan Chau, Muong La, Bac Yen and Phu Yen in the second quarter of 2017. The project costs VND 378.7 billion and is funded by EVN and EVNNPC.
According to Son La Power Company, currently the Company has aggressively prepared necessary conditions to start construction of the Project; in parallel in coordination with the local authorities of relevant provinces and districts to propose policies, mechanisms, remedies to resolve completely difficulties and obstacles in site clearance, forestry land use change. In particular, the Company has advised the provincial authorities to balance and allocate their counterpart funds, to instruct local authorities in communes to communicate information and persuade the people in site clearance activities, to facilitate contractors’ work performance on schedule.