Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has submitted a petition to the Ministry of Industry and Trade against raising the power output sold to Cambodia since the country’s southern region is facing difficulties in power supply.
At present the power capacity sold to Cambodia is some 135 megawatts and the monthly output fluctuates between 90 and 100 kilowatts.
Experts said the southern region was currently short of electricity and required the additional supply from the north during the dry season to meet the regional consumption demand.
Speaking to the Daily on Sunday, Le Van Quang, deputy general director of Da Nhim-Ham Thuan-Da Mi Hydropower Company, warned about the low water levels at some hydropower reservoirs such as Dong Nai 3, Dong Nai 4, and Dai Ninh.
Da Nhim, Ham Thuan, Da Mi, Tri An and Dai Ninh lakes are boosting water storage for power generation in the coming dry season. At the same time, larger reservoirs like Tri An, Dai Ninh and Ham Thuan are supplying water for winter-spring crop in the south.
According to EVN, although the water storage at hydropower reservoirs in 2011 are better than in 2010, there are signals about a severe drought in this year’s dry season, leaving a huge impact on hydropower generation.
The total power output of EVN in 2012 is estimated at 105 billion kilowatt-hours, or a year-on-year increase of 11.9%, some 4.6 billion kilowatts of which will be imported from China.
To enhance power supply, EVN will kick off four projects this year with the total capacity of 2,390 megawatts, including the thermal power plants Duyen Hai 3, O Mon 1, and Thai Binh, together with Trung Son hydropower plant.
