Electricity grid to be connected to regional countries

VGP - Deputy PM Hoàng Trung Hải has recently asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) to instruct Electricity Việt Nam (EVN) and relevant agencies to finalize a draft plan on tapping hydroelectricity potential in Laos and Cambodia, and to link Việt Nam’s 500-KV electricity grid to those of the two neighbor countries.

September 04, 2010 11:00 AM GMT+7

Linking power grids ensures energy security –Illustration photo

The Deputy PM also instructed EVN to make a feasibility study on connecting the 500-KV grid with China’s, and report it to the PM in January 2011.

Besides, EVN was assigned to negotiate for the import of China’s electricity in the 2010-2015 period and report the result to the PM in October 2010.

The ASEAN electricity connecting program was initiated 10 years ago in order to benefit both investors and users. Việt Nam joined the ASEAN power grid long time ago, but has mainly connected its grid to China, Laos, and Cambodia’s ones.

According to the MIT, Việt Nam is going to build a 500-KV line from Laos to connect the domestic power grid with Laos, then Thailand, Myanmar and other ASEAN members.

The hydroelectricity projects Nattarat Kiri and Low SêSan 2, with capacity of 400MW, in the Cambodian province of Stung Treng are underway. When the two plants are completed in 2014 as scheduled, EVN will connect the 220-KV line to Cambodia.

By Ngọc Vân