Power cuts to lessen in northern Vietnam

State utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said it plans to continue cutting power in the northern region due to lingering hot weather and low hydropower reservoir water levels, but will strive to keep disruptions to a minimum.

According to weather forecasts, the northern region will experience another heat wave from June 18 with temperatures of 36-37 degrees Celsius for nearly a week. Meanwhile, water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs have improved, but remain low.

In a report submitted to the government on Friday, EVN said it will still have to cut off electricity in the North until reservoirs fill up. The power cuts are estimated at 2,000-2,500 megawatts, about 20-30% lower than the average cuts in the first days of June and half of the peak daily cut level of 5,000 MW.

Since the end of May, the northern region has been experiencing power cuts due to soaring demand in the hot season. Hydroelectricity output, one of the two main sources of electricity for the North, has fallen due to drought.

However, on Wednesday, water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs rose by 3-10 meters compared to the end of last week thanks to heavy rainfall, but some power plants are still operating at a low capacity to ensure supplies and save water.

EVN said that power cuts in the North decreased gradually from June 6 to 15. Cool weather helped ease the demand for electricity, leading to an average capacity reduction of about 1,825 MW in the North.

Notably, Hanoi had no power cuts from June 13-15, it said.

However, power demand increased again on June 16. According to data updated on Saturday morning by EVN and the National Load Dispatch Center (A0), the country's demand on Friday reached more than 861 million kWh, with nearly half in the North, 8% in the central region, and 44% in the South.

The country's peak usage capacity on Friday was at 41,569 MW, of which the North accounted for nearly 47% (19,367 MW).

According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), on Friday, water levels in all major reservoirs were above “dead” levels. However, they was only enough for hydropower plants to operate at full capacity for 2-4 days. The reservoirs are storing more water to ensure power supplies for the hot summer.

Currently, the water level is 277 meters in Lai Chau reservoir, 178.1 meters in Son La, 102.7 meters in Hoa Binh, 94.8 meters in Tuyen Quang, and 436.3 meters in Ban Chat.

Meanwhile, some thermal power plants are still facing disruptions due to problems like shortages of coal, with a total affected capacity of 600-2,100 MW.

EVN said that in the coming days, it will continue to closely monitor hydrological developments to make timely adjustments, ensuring minimum cuts.

With the hot weather over the weekend pushing up demand for electricity, experts advised people and businesses to save electricity to avoid pressure on the national power grid, especially in the North.

Earlier, the government requested the MoIT, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, EVN, and Petrovietnam to resolve current power shortages in June. The ministry and the relevant units were asked to accelerate power and transmission projects, and mobilize more rooftop solar power.

The MoIT was also required to speed up the progress of the Quang Trach II power plant in the central province of Quang Binh. The MoIT and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) have been assigned to supervise the implementation of a 3,500-kilovolt transmission line from the central region to the North, which is part of Vietnam’s newly-approved Power Plan VIII.

The government instructed the ministry to work on a mechanism in July to encourage the use of rooftop solar power to serve residents and public offices, and another mechanism for direct power purchasing agreements.