Power of technology leverage
The construction of economic, industrial zones in the localities of Central and Central Highlands areas is expected to be a crucial leverage, promoting the region’s economic development. In statistics, over the past 10 years, economic and industrial zones in the region have attracted more than 1,280 projects with a total registered investment of more than VND 500,000 billion, implemented capital of more than VND 210,000 billion, making a great contribution to the state budget and creating more stable jobs for local people.
The development of economic and industrial zones in the Central region has also put considerable pressure on the power system. In the first 7 months of 2018, EVNCPC’s power output for industry - construction accounted for more than 41% of the total commercial power output of this Corporation. Although EVNCPC is less likely to be under “the heat” of abrupt increase in power load as some other localities, with the characteristics of spreading and asynchronous power grid infrastructure, ensuring the criteria of stable power quality and reliability is the issue that makes the Corporation constantly anxious, and requires proper solutions.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh - Deputy General Director of EVNCPC, the Corporation had decided to take advantage of technology as a crucial solution to likely meet the strict requirements of power reliability for the socio - economic development in general and industry development in particular. After considering the technical infrastructure and application capacity, EVNCPC has focused on applying new technologies such as: Repairing on-working grid (hotline), operating remote control centers, effectively exploiting remote metering system with electronic meters, etc.
The “knowhow” of EVNCPC’s success is the synchronous implementation of solutions in all member units within the shortest time. Currently, the Corporation has completed equipping system of SCADA for the distribution grid, put remote control centers into operation for 13/13 power companies, “reaching the destination” in 2 years ahead of the plan assigned by EVN. Thanks to the application of digital technology power, regulators can easily perform operation of remote substation’s equipment, shortening the time of interrupted power supply to customers.
The Corporation is also the leading unit in installing electronic meters with the remote data collection system of RF-Spider for large customers. This technology not only standardizes the measured results of EVNCPC, but also supports large customers in monitoring their power consumption by real time, thereby arranging reasonable production, using power in an effective and money-saving manner.
Hotline technology applied in 13/13 power companies of EVNCPC
The role of hotline teams
In order to shorten the time, reduce the time of power outage for industrial customers, improve the reliability of power supply, the strategic solution used by EVNCPC’s units is the hotline technology. Up to now, EVNCPC has been the first distribution corporation with all (100%) member companies owning hotline teams, porcelain cleaning by high-pressure water.
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan - Director of Quang Nam Power Company, before the hotline teams were applied, the power outage implemented on the grid had received quite a lot of complaints from customers, particularly industrial ones. Although the power units had made announced in advance the power outage, the interruption of production lines directly affected production activity and profitability of enterprises and factories. Its is very hard for large customers to agree on, as well as share with us. However, since the application of hotline technology, the number of times and the duration of power outage performed on the grid had significantly reduced and had been highly supported by the customers. Therefore, right in 2018, PC Quang Nam and some other power companies under EVNCPC had organized the training for the second hotline team. The Corporation had also planned to develop the third hotline team at power companies in 2019.
Particularly, each member unit of EVNCPC is very proactive in studying and applying new, appropriate technologies with the reality of their units. Da Nang Power Co., Ltd., is one of the pioneers, successful applying “hotline” repair and maintenance technology for substations from June 2018. Accordingly, a mobile transformer shall be in parallel connected with the transformer that needs repairing and maintaining so that the power supply to customers will be not interrupted. The company has also studied to successfully pilot hotline repair with the platform, supporting the repairing on the grid in the area with difficult topography that is unfavorable for using crane.
In the coming time, in order to further improve the reliability of power supply for construction - industrial sectors, EVNCPC will continue to scale up technology applications such as “hotline” repair and maintenance for substations of customers, develop software for managing on-grid working schedule, study for decoding SCADA signals - connecting software of CRM, standardize data for calculating power supply reliability, promptly handle interruption of power supply to customers, particularly industrial customers, etc.