Power chief suspended from position pending inspections

Director of Vietnam's National Load Dispatch Center (A0) Nguyen Duc Ninh has been suspended from his position as authorities conduct inspections into the management of power supplies.

The decision, signed by general director of state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) Tran Dinh Nhan, took effect from Wednesday.

The center manages power generation, transmission and distribution to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power system. A0 is also responsible for operating power plants, regulating reservoirs, and fixing problems on the 500kV national transmission system.

On June 10, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) started inspecting power management at EVN in the period from January 2021 to June 2023, under the direction of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

MoIT Minister Nguyen Hong Dien asked inspectors to clarify the group’s power supplies, preparations for power plants, operations, mobilization of power sources (technically), power transmission, and utilization of renewables.

Along with the inspection team, the ministry leader requested the establishment of an oversight group to supervise the process.

Last week, EVN's board of members issued a resolution making general director Tran Dinh Nhan responsible for making reports and providing documents at the request of the ministry's inspection team.

Since the beginning of June, people in Hanoi as well as northern provinces have faced frequent power cuts. The average electricity consumption across the whole country reached nearly 820 million kWh a day in May, an increase of over 20% from April.

Hydroelectricity, one of the two main sources of electricity in the north, has seen a sharp decrease in output due to drought and lower water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs. Meanwhile, some thermal power plants have encountered problems running at a high capacity.

Tran Viet Hoa, director of the MoIT’s Electricity Regulatory Authority, said that the available capacity of all power sources in the northern region, including imported electricity, is 17,500-17,900 megawatts, or about 59.2% of the installed capacity. Meanwhile, the demand is about 20,000 MW and can reach 23,500-24,000 MW in hot weather.

Northern Vietnam is forecast to lack 30.9-50.8 million kWh a day and the risk of power shortages is looming, he noted.