Reporter: One of the outstanding results in Power system operation in 2018 is mobilizing only 285 million kWh from the oil-fired power output. This figure is much lower than the expected target at the beginning of the year (692 million kWh). Could you share about essential solutions that have been implemented by National Load Dispatch Center (A0) in order to achieve this efficiency?
Mr. Vu Xuan Khu - A0’s Deputy Director
Mr. Vu Xuan Khu: Under the close direction of EVN, the Center has overcome many difficulties in 2018 such as: High growth rate of demand for load; failure in reaching expected water inflow to reservoirs in Central and Southern areas, even there was no water inflow to some reservoirs; sources of coal and gas supplied to power plants did not meet their requirements, etc.
A0 has effectively coordinated with units, safely, stably and economically operating power systems – the electricity market. So many solutions have been synchronously implemented by A0 such as: Planning for long term and short term operations (next year, month, week, day, hour and operating in real time); thereby helping the power systems to operate in the most realistic manner, in line with supply sources of fuel; Proposing and regulating tactics to mobilize hydropower and thermal power sources in a reasonable and appropriate manner for each period.
A0 has operated the competitive power generation market with fairness and transparency on the basis of optimizing and minimizing Qc (power generated on market’s marginal price) in order to ensure that the power system is most economically operated; avoided any complaints and queries with unreasonable manner.
Reporter: Which challenges face the power system in 2019, Sir?
Mr. Vu Xuan Khu: The operation of power system - electricity market in 2019 is more challenging than 2018. In addition to the difficulties of 2018 that have not been resolved such as continuously high growth rate of load; coal and gas sources not meeting the demand for power plants; shortage of water in hydropower reservoirs in Southern and Central regions, being unable to accumulate and store water to normal water level, A0 is also subject to another tension that a series of solar power plants will be put into operation before 30 June 2019.
The operation of solar power plants to ensure the safety for the power system is a huge challenge, due to instability of this energy. However, A0 will also coordinate with investors, creating maximum conditions to support solar power plants in their operation, in order to increase supply sources for the South.
Reporter: How will A0 resolve to harmonize the target of stable operation on power system and electricity market while ensuring economic efficiency of the system?
Mr. Vu Xuan Khu: The economic operation of the power system has always been particularly focused on operation by A0. However, at all times, our highest target is to safely operate, then economically operate the system.
In order to ensure both above-mentioned targets, in addition to promoting solutions that brought efficiency in 2018, in 2019, A0 continues to more closely monitor the capacity of coal and gas supply so as to propose a mobilizing method in appropriate, economical manner and compliance with market’s regulations to EVN.
At the same time, A0 also makes full use of coal and gas turbines for thermal power generation right in the last months of 2018 and the dry season in 2019, in order to minimize the oil-fired power output in the peak months of the dry season.
Particularly, in 2019, A0 will improve the quality of short-term and long-term load forecast to work out the most economical operating method. In which, calculation cycle will be shortened from 1 hour to 30 minutes at all stages, including the operation of the power system and generation market. We will collaborate with related units to put EMS/Scada systems into operation in order to support dispatchers in making decisions in real time; gradually master new systems of operation monitoring such as incident recording, large-scale protection system, power quality monitoring, etc.
Additionally, A0 also calculates to establish a number of auxiliary services in accordance with new regulations and circulars; at the same time, allocate the standby capacity of such services to generating units in the most appropriate manner.
Reporter: Thank you very much!