Unannounced power outages occur across the country.

Many thermal power plants have problems

The Ministry of Industry and Trade's inspection conclusion on electricity supply listed many prolonged generator failures that affected electricity supply.

These are Unit S2 (300 MW) of Cam Pha Thermal Power Plant (incident since June 21, 2022); Unit S1 (600 MW) of Vung Ang 1 Thermal Power Plant (incident since September 19, 2021); Unit S6 (300 MW) of Pha Lai 2 Thermal Power Plant (incident since March 16, 2021).

The inspection conclusion said: In the first 5 months of the year, coal-fired thermal power sources in the North had 88 generator failures, greatly affecting the available capacity of the entire Northern power system.

The total number of generator failures in power plants managed by EVN and GENCOs (Generation Corporations) accounts for 51.1% (45/88), of which, in the Northern region, the number of generator failures of EVN and GENCOs is 26/50, accounting for 52% of the total number of generator failures in the Northern region.

Thermal power plant failures are part of the reason for the power shortage. (Illustration photo).

“The slow handling of incidents and restoration of operation of generators caused a shortage of electricity supply to the national power system, especially in the Northern region during the recent peak period,” the inspection conclusion stated.

Specifically, the incident with unit S1 lasted from September 19, 2021. At the time of inspection, Vung Ang 1 Thermal Power Plant had not yet completed the repair work, although the Ministry of Industry and Trade had issued an official dispatch directing PVN and PVPower to urgently fix the problem. This caused a shortage of electricity supply for the Northern region.

The inspection conclusion also stated that the factory had not clarified the exact cause of the incident and had not organized a review of the responsibilities of the relevant collectives and individuals.

Regarding the incident of unit S2 (300MW) of Cam Pha Thermal Power Plant of TKV Power Corporation that lasted from June 21, 2022, by the time of inspection, the repair had not been completed. Cam Pha Thermal Power Plant has not yet implemented the reporting regime for unit S2 incident according to regulations; has organized an assessment and analysis of the cause of the incident; has reviewed the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals for the occurrence of the incident.

The long repair time of generator S2 is also one of the reasons for the recent power supply shortage in the Northern region.

In addition, the inspection conclusion assessed that the start-up of unit S3 of the Duyen Hai 3 Thermal Power Plant expansion was delayed. The time from start-up to grid connection of unit S3 lasted more than 7 days, leading to the need to mobilize additional electricity output from hydropower sources, causing a decrease in water levels and oil-fired thermal power sources.

Regarding Duyen Hai 2 BOT thermal power plant, the inspection conclusion stated: The National Power System Dispatch Center (A0) had recommended EVN to mobilize Duyen Hai 2 BOT Thermal Power Plant, but in fact, at the time of A0's recommendation, it had not been mobilized. After that, A0 did not continue to recommend EVN in writing to mobilize Duyen Hai 2 Thermal Power Plant to maintain the upstream water level of hydroelectric reservoirs during the dry season according to regulations.

"The mobilization of Duyen Hai 2 BOT Thermal Power Plant is delayed compared to the urgent situation of the power system," the inspection conclusion assessed.

Many lines are overloaded.

In 2022, the number of 500kV and 220kV lines operating fully and overloaded will increase by 134 lines due to the operation of many renewable energy power plants in the Central region. Therefore, the number of 220kV lines will increase from 18 to 65 lines and the Northern grid will increase from 60 to 71 lines.

In 2023, the lines are still operating at full load and overload, but the number of occurrences is less than in 2022, the number of fully loaded transformers (MBA) is higher than in 2022. However, the level of overload of the MBA is lower than in 2022.

Investing in new power lines encounters many difficulties.

According to the inspection conclusion, the lines and transformers that are operating at full load/overload cannot improve the load-carrying situation if the related construction investment projects to support load reduction are not put into operation on schedule.

The biggest problem currently directly affecting the progress of related construction investment projects is compensation for site clearance and conversion of forest use purposes.

“With this problem, it is likely that in the coming years the transmission grid will continue to operate at full capacity and overload in load center areas (large cities, provinces with concentrated industrial zones, releasing renewable energy capacity...)”, the conclusion predicts.

Power outage with no announced time for power to be restored

According to the inspection conclusion, the power corporations have directed all the units below to have notices in all cases of stopping or reducing the power supply (emergency, non-emergency).

EVNHANOI and EVNHCMC proactively monitor load fluctuations and have developed plans for power supply for the annual dry season and plans to reduce load in emergency situations (in case of power shortage) according to regulations.

At the same time, EVN units proactively monitor load, assign affiliated power companies to annually develop power supply plans for the dry season and load reduction plans in emergency situations.

However, the inspection conclusion stated that: The process of sending notices of stopping and reducing electricity supply to some customers with output greater than 100,000 kWh/month at Bac Ninh Power Company, Hai Phong Power Company Limited under EVNNPC, Binh Thuy Power Company/Can Tho City Power Company under EVNSPC, the notice content was not complete, such as the expected time of power resumption.

“The emergency load shedding from A0, A1, A2 (emergency situation) led to sudden and unannounced power outages for customers using electricity for daily life, production, and business purposes on a large scale, so it was inevitable that many customers would be affected,” the conclusion stated.

Coal source is not active

The inspection conclusion also pointed out a number of shortcomings in the management, direction, operation and preparation of coal fuel for electricity production of thermal power plants.

Every year, EVN issues documents requesting its affiliated units, GENCOs 1, 2, 3 to review, determine the demand and prepare coal fuel for electricity production; approve plans to repair, maintain and sustain coal receiving infrastructure; pilot implementation of mixed coal burning at coal-fired thermal power plants...

However, the implementation process of some thermal power plants under EVN and GENCOs 1, 2, 3 was not timely and incomplete according to the direction of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, leading to a situation where some thermal power plants had low inventories for a long time, not ensuring enough coal for local power generation at some times.

What did the EVN Inspectorate conclude about the power shortage? The Ministry of Industry and Trade's inspection conclusion gave many detailed reasons for the recent power shortage.

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