In April 2019, the influence of hot weather resulted in high demand for power, the produced and imported power output of the whole system in April 2019 reached 20.49 billion kWh (averagely at 683 million kWh/day). Although this period is only the beginning of the hot season in the North, the level of power consumption has exceeded the peak one of 2018, the largest output has reached 751.8 million kWh and the largest capacity of the whole system has reached over 35,700MW, increasing by nearly 5,000MW equivalent to an increase of 16.2% over the same period in 2018 (30,720MW). Accumulation in 4 months of the whole system’s output has reached 74.35 billion kWh, increasing by 10.77% over the same period of 2018. EVN’s total commercial power output in April 2019 has been estimated at 17.83 billion kWh; Accumulation in 4 months of 2019 has been estimated at 64.16 billion kWh, increasing by 9.86% over the same period of 2018, of which domestic commercial power output has increased by 9.72%.
In April 2019, the main trend of power transmission was in the direction from the North and the Central to the South with the power output estimated at 17.3 billion kWh. The highest transmission capacity on the North-Central 500kV lines was 2,120MW and on Central - South line was 3,360MW. The transmission output to the South was about 33.9 million kWh/day (equivalent to 10.6% of the power demand in the South). Hydropower plants were exploited under regulation objectives, ensuring the local requirements for water supply to their downstream areas until the end of the dry season. Coal-fired thermal power sources continued to be highly mobilized, with output of 10.6 billion kWh (equal to 118% of the month’s plan). Thermal power of gas turbine ensured its maximum exploitation in line with gas supply capacity, and at the same time, about 21 million kWh from oil-fired (FO, DO) thermal power plants was mobilized to meet the power demand in the South. Total power loss of the whole Group in the first 4 months of 2019 was 6.55%, 0.15% better performed than the target for 2019 (6.7%).
Regarding construction investment, in April 2019, Vinh Tan 4 Expansion Thermal Power Project was connected to the national grid for the first time (02 months ahead of its planned progress); dredging, measuring and scanning obstacles at the Coal Port of Vinh Tan Power Center was completed, meeting the berth capacity for 70,000-ton ships, etc.
Regarding the power grid, EVN and its units completed construction of and put 4 110kV power grid works into operation, commenced 4 works. Accumulated performance for 4 months of 2019 included commencement of 33 110kV works and completion of 33 220-110kV power grid work.
At the end of April 2019, social media networks and some newspapers published the information on high rise in of electricity charge for some power users. EVN and its units gave feedback on causes, particularly, the weather in the South and the Central Highlands began to get hot and sunny with temperature of over 37°C at many times; the North began to enter the transitional period of weather, it is warm and wet with high humidity and hot with temperature of up to 37°C in some days, so the demand of customers for cooling and dehumidification equipment, especially chillers highly increased. The average daily power consumption of April 2019 increased by 16.17% compared to that of March 2019. Another crucial reason is that the number of power-billing days in April (31 days for March) is more than that of the period in March (only 28 days for February) at 3 days; the number of increasing days in a month will increase the power consumption in April 2019 by 10.71%. Thus, even without the adjustment of electricity prices at the end of March 2019, the consumption of April is going to increase to nearly 27%. These are the two basic reasons behind the significant increase of electricity bills, the more power is consumed by customers, the greater increase in electricity bills is. And the adjustment of electricity prices at the end of March 2019 only causes a minor impact on electricity bills, regardless of the power consumption, new electricity prices makes bills increase only approximately by 8.36%. As of the end of April 2019, statistics on electricity bills of households in the two largest cities showed that in Hanoi, there has been over 57.29% of customer using power for domestic purpose with power consumption in April 2019 increasing by over 30% compared to that of March 2019, this rate in Ho Chi Minh City has been over 47.18%.
According to statistics, in the period from 20 March 2019 to 26 April 2019, the Power sector received more than 13,000 questions and requests from customers about electricity bills, which were all timely checked, verified and settled and customers were all satisfied with the settlement results of the Power sector.
Some working tasks of EVN in May 2019
According to the Central Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in May 2019, it is likely to appear about 2 - 3 spells of cold air causing rains and thunderstorms in North and North Central. In the middle and the end of the month, in the Northern, Central and Southern regions, there is a possibility of wide-area hot weather; particularly, intense heat may appear in the North-west of the North and the mountainous areas of the Central provinces. The common weather in South Central region may be characterized by little rain and dry status. The national average temperature generally higher than the average value for many years.
In May 2019, the average power output of the whole system is expected to be 691 million kWh/day (increasing by 1.2% compared to that in April 2019), the largest load capacity to be about 36,590MW. Accordingly, the operating mode of the national power system is to highly exploit hydropower plants in the North; exploit the plants in Central and Southern in line with water amount flowing to reservoirs, ensuring the demand of water supply for downstream areas for localities. Coal-fired and burnt-gas turbine thermal power sources continue to be mobilized at maximum capacity. Coal-fired thermal power generator units need to adequately prepare fuel (coal, oil, etc.), materials, equipment and human resources to be ready for meeting the mobilization requirements of the National Load Dispatch Center.
Subsidiaries under the Group highly focus on, make best efforts to support and facilitate investors of renewable energy (RE) projects in implementing procedures for taking over and granting commercial operation certificates (COD) for a great deal of solar power projects which are expected to operate in May and June.
The units also safely and reliably operate the transmission power grid, strengthen inspecting the line corridor, particularly the North - South 500kV system while maintaining continuously high transmission capacity in the dry season. They actively implement preparations to be ready for disaster prevention, search and rescue, flood and storm prevention and control options, ensuring safety for dams, reservoirs and hydropower projects for the coming rainy season. Power Corporations maintain and strengthen propaganda on mass media about power saving, especially when it is in all three regions.
Regarding construction investment, the Corporations continue to focus on construction progress closely following the planned targets. In May 2019, ensuring the completion of furnace burning, for the first time, by coal and synchronously connecting Duyen Hai 3 Extension Thermal Power Project to the national grid; reporting results of biding assessment on EPC package for Phuoc Thai 1 Solar Power Project and bid opening for EPC package, conducting bid assessment on Se San 4 Solar Power Project, etc. For power grid projects, focusing on implementing task according to targets planned for 2019, particularly the key power grid works and the works aimed at ensure power supply in the dry season of 2019. Particularly, problems of the corridor should be definitely solved in order to put transmission lines of Vinh Tan - Song May branch - Tan Uyen 500kV, Long Phu - Can Tho - Tra Noc; phase-1 Song Hau - Duc Hoa 500kV and crucial works for ensuring power supply in the summer of 2019 in Hanoi City and the Northern region such as: 220kV Son Tay (generator 2), Bac Kan, Dinh Vu, Thanh Nghi substations; 220kV Nho Quan - Thanh Nghi transmission line, 220kV branches of Viet Tri, Luu Xa, Pho Noi, etc., into operation.
For a number of other tasks: Implement developing Schemes of arranging Power companies/units at district level by urban, rural, mountainous and island areas under the orientation of reducing the number of intermediary units and separating the operation in terms of organizing the power distribution and the retail business; complete and operate the website of renewable energy and issue the process of granting COD’s for solar and wind power plants; continue propagating to ensure the power supply in the dry season, solar rooftop power; instruct issues of safe, economical and effective use of power; actively monitor, guide and support in solving customers’ questions about electricity bills, etc.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Communications Department - Vietnam Electricity;
E-mail: banqhcd@evn.com.vn
Tel: 04.66946405/66946413; Fax: 04.66946402
Address: No. 11 Cua Bac Street, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District - Hanoi;
Website: www.evn.com.vn, www.tietkiemnangluong.vn