Torrential rains help ease power shortages in northern Vietnam

Hydropower reservoirs in northern Vietnam have been topped up by recent heavy rain, with more forecast over the region this week, helping to relieve power shortages.

At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the water level in the Lai Chau Reservoir rose to 272 meters, seven meters higher than on June 8, while the level at the Son La Reservoir was almost 177 m, about 1.5 m higher.

Representatives of the two hydropower plants said the facilities could resume electricity generation thanks to the higher water levels, but the factories will prioritize storing water for use during heat waves, which normally see electricity demand to increase. Storing water is also necessary as the drought-causing El Nino phenomenon has begun, they added.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that torrential rains in the northern region will last until Friday-Saturday this week (June 16-17), occurring mainly in the evening.

Power shortages in Vietnam could become more severe if economic growth recovers to 6-7%, Vu Hong Thanh, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee, told the media last week on the sidelines of the legislature’s ongoing session.

He said warnings about potential power shortages in Vietnam had been issued a few years ago, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. He attributed the situation to the slow progress of power projects implemented by state-owned entities Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Petrovietnam, and mining group Vinacomin.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh earlier last week requested urgent measures to ensure power supplies during this dry season and beyond. In a dispatch, he emphasized that the severe heat and impacts of the El Nino phenomenon have led to a surge in power demand, coupled with drought in the country causing extremely low water levels in hydropower reservoirs, thus affecting electricity supplies.

In a letter sent to EVN last week, port and logistics companies in northern Vietnam's Hai Phong city had cried out for help as the frequency of power blackouts continued to rise amid electricity shortages.