Hanoi (VNA) - While the backboneof Vietnam’s electricity remains hydropower, the State-owned Electricity ofVietnam Group (EVN) said power supply will be ensured for the coming dry season.

Demand for electricity in the second quarterthis year is set to increase by 12.5 percent at the peak of the dry seasoncompared to last year, which usually records the highest power consumption ofthe year, according to the corporation that holds a near monopoly of thecountry’s power sector.

Especially in May and June, consumption for thesystem is forecast to reach 650 million kilowatt-hour (kWh) a day, which meansthe infrastructure will need to handle a maximum load of 34,300 megawatts (MW)in these two months.

To meet the high demand, the EVN ‘fully utilise’tap coal and gas sources to run coal turbines (in thermoelectric power plantsVinh Tan 2, Vinh Tan 4, Duyen Hai 1 and Duyen Hai 3), in addition to thereliance on reservoirs to ensure sufficient water to operate hydropowerfacilities in the lowlands

If necessary, the group will operatethermoelectric turbines that runs on oil to ensure supply.

Additionally, the group’s affiliate, theNational Power Transmission Company, was asked to ensure safe operation andcontinuous transmission of power grids, especially the 500kV north-south line.

All companies were requested to prepare plansfor natural disaster prevention and rescue as well as measures to ensure safetyfor reservoirs and hydropower works to keep the lowland regions safe in therainy and stormy season.

Local subsidiaries of EVN have also been askedto identify critical uses – such as hospitals, schools, clean waterinfrastructures, or important socio-political events – in their area to ensurethat power supply is stable.

In terms of construction, the group willaccelerate completion of projects in the second quarter this year to ensurepower supply, including granting a Provisional Acceptance Certificate forThermo-power plants of Vinh Tan 4 and Thai Binh and finishing a 500kV VinhTan-Song May transmission line.

In the second quarter this year, the corporationwill try to launch the 500kV west Hanoi – Thuong Tin transmission line, a500kV/220kV Nho Quan-Phu Ly-Thuong Tin line and 500kV transmission stations inChon Thanh township in the southern province of Binh Phuoc and My Tho city ofTien Giang province.

In the first quarter, the EVN’s companiescompleted 41 electricity works nationwide and upgraded transmissionstations in many northern and southern provinces.

According to statistics by the Ministry ofIndustry and Commerce, the total yield of power produced was 46.2 billion kWhfor the first quarter, increasing 10.4 percent compared to 9.4 percent of thesame period last year. In March, power produced was 17.1 billion kWh, of whichcommercial electricity was 14.1 billion kWh.

Aside from ensuring uninterrupted power,campaigns aiming to encourage the industrial sector and public to save energywill also be ramped up when the weather starts to turn dry and hot.

Enterprises, especially in the south where majorindustrial clusters are based, have upgraded their production lines to be moreenergy-efficient, or installed solar panels to alleviate the stress on thepower grid.-VNA