2014 - a year for successful power delivery to island districts

In 2014, the Vietnamese electricity sector succeeded in completing power projects that brought power to distant islands, ensuring a safe and stable provision of power, and promising to strongly boost the islands’ socio-economic development.

Workers in the project to bring power to Van Don island district (Photo: baoquangninh.com.vn)

In September, EVN put into operation the underground cable project to connect Ly Son island in the central province of Quang Ngai to the national grid. Approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on October 14th, 2013, the project was started on February 24th with a total investment of VND678 billion, including construction of 8.7km of middle voltage arial transmission line through Binh Son district in the mainland and 26.2km of 22kV undersea cables.

The power project has served 22.000 residents who earn their living fishing around the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, growing garlic and onions and providing tourism services on the 10 square kilometer island.

In the southern province of Kien Giang, Phu Quoc island was connected to the national power grid in January after an undersea cable linked it with Ha Tien town. The system, the longest in Southeast Asia, stretches 5.8 kilometer from Thuan Yen village in Ha Tien town to Phu Quoc district’s Ham Ninh village, costing over VND2.3 trillion.

In Kien Giang province’s socio-economic development master plan until 2020, Phu Quoc island is set to become a special administrative-economic zone, and a national and international center for high-end ecotourism and entertainment.

Officially launched on April 19th, the project of connecting the national power grid to the 5 island communes of Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ban Sen, Ngoc Vung, and Thang Loi in Van Don island district was put into operation in late 2014 with a total investment capital of VND312 billion. The project includes 67 kilometers of 22kV medium voltage line, 34 kilometer of 0.4kV low voltage line and 21 transformer stations, serving the lives of over 2,500 residents.

The power project paved the way the construction of essential infrastructure required of a special administrative and economic zone and a dynamic economic area and a key point in Quang Ninh province’s sea and island economic development strategy.

Another power project is being carried out in an attempt to connect Hon Tre island commune, the administrative – economic center of Kien Hai island district, the southern province of Kien Giang, to the national grid before the 2015 lunar New Year.

Accordingly, the 22kV line project, with a length of 13 kilometers was started in July, costing some VND70 billion.

When completed, the project is expected to create impetus for the district’s socio-economic development from the enormous resources in the sea economy, especially in the exploitation and processing of seafood, aquaculture, services, tourism and maritime shipping.

The completion and ongoing construction of the power projects raised the number of islands that have access to the national power grid. So far 8 of 12 islands, including Van Don and Co To in Quang Ninh province, Cat Hai in Hai Phong city, Ly Son in Quang Ngai province, Phu Quy in Binh Thuan province, Con Dao in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Kien Hai and Phu Quoc in Kien Giang province.

Power supply has been identified as a key solution to make breakthroughs in the sea economy, potentially providing 53-55% of GDP as set in the country’s strategy on sea economy development by 2020. Furthermore, the power projects play a very important role in ensuring the islands security, national defence and sea and island sovereignty.

(Source: CPV)