While the issue of privatization contributing to the development of the energy sector in our country still faces many difficulties and obstacles, in Thanh Hoa, nearly 25 years ago, there was a business that boldly took the initiative to "go one step ahead", making "unprecedented" decisions when participating in the field of construction, management, and electricity trading, making an important contribution to the overall development of the province and the country. That is Thanh Hoa Power Construction Joint Stock Company (TH Power Construction Joint Stock Company) - a private enterprise of Thanh Hoa province that was honored to receive the title of Labor Hero in the renovation period.
Officers and staff of the electricity management team of Tung Lam commune, Nghi Son town, check the operating status of the substation in their area of responsibility. Photo: Dang Khoa
Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW, dated February 11, 2020 "on the orientation of Vietnam's national energy development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045" of the Politburo is considered an important "key" to "open the door" to the mechanism, removing the bottleneck for the issue of socialization in the development of the energy sector.
After 4 years of implementing Resolution 55, private enterprise projects in the energy development sector still mainly focus on power sources. Investment projects in the distribution grid to develop load are still a "difficult problem"; many power projects do not maximize their capacity due to the lack of medium-voltage distribution lines and distribution transformer stations (TSAs). Meanwhile, the country's socio-economic development speed and people's demand for electricity have increased the demand for electricity load, posing great challenges for the electricity industry. Stories about mechanisms, policies, management methods, operations... are still being analyzed and discussed...
Breakthrough, unprecedented decisions
Few people know that nearly 25 years ago, TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company, with limited experience and financial capacity, dared to think and act, creating breakthroughs when participating in the field of power construction and installation, bringing electricity to remote villages, managing and trading electricity. Bold, pioneering, "unprecedented" directions have gradually helped the company affirm its reputation and quality in the industry, making important contributions to the socio-economic development of the province.
Since the year 2000, when the mechanism and policies were still difficult and the potential was limited, TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company proactively proposed to the Provincial People's Committee and Electricity Company 1 (now the Northern Power Corporation) to agree to advance capital of more than 100 billion VND in combination with Programs 135, WB, ODA, SIDA, and budget support to build medium and low voltage grids and transformer stations for 49 remote, disadvantaged communes without electricity in the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa. "Implementing the rural electrification policy, on the journey to overcome challenges and find opportunities for ourselves, we accept to enter a "game" with few advantages and many difficulties, accepting to spend large costs, low profits, and high risks. Each project that TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company completes carries a story of responsibility, trust, and development. TH Labor Labor Joint Stock Company always upholds the spirit of creativity, dedication, breakthrough in thinking, decisiveness in action, aiming at the goal of harmonizing the interests of enterprises and society, creating momentum for the common development of the province and the country" - Mr. Nguyen Duc Du, Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director of TH Labor Labor Joint Stock Company, confided.
The project was completed in just 3 years (2001 - 2003), timely power supply contributed to improving the lives of people in the 11 mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa, promoting production, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, developing the local economy and people's livelihood. At that time, if we just waited for the State budget or the electricity industry's capital according to the plan, it would take about 20 years for the mountainous areas of Thanh Hoa to be covered by the national grid.
To promote the role and mission of "electricity one step ahead", meeting the requirements and goals of socio-economic development, "captain" Nguyen Duc Du was concerned: "The current status of the rural low-voltage power grid at that time was built decades ago, did not ensure technical standards, was old and dilapidated, the power supply radius was too long, and the power loss was 30 - 40%. The electricity at the end of the source was too weak, so there were frequent voltage drops, causing many places to have electricity but not have it, having to use candles or oil lamps; people had to buy electricity at high prices.
Faced with this reality, in 2003, TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company made a bold decision to propose to the Provincial People's Committee to receive the rural low-voltage grid in its original state. When the Provincial People's Committee approved the proposal, the company mobilized resources and focused capital to return the remaining value of the low-voltage grid to the locality; invested in renovating the received low-voltage grid, ensuring that the electricity price to households was equal to the ceiling price prescribed by the Government.
Reputation and quality are the measures of value
The company's "age" is marked by days of enthusiastic work, spirit, "overcoming the sun and rain", "only working, not retreating", regardless of the hardships and difficulties in constructing electrical construction works. The company has completed construction and installation of thousands of works with tens of thousands of kilometers of high-voltage, medium-voltage and low-voltage lines, thousands of transformer stations with tens of thousands of KVA. The company is currently managing and retailing electricity in 117 communes, wards and towns of 13 districts, towns and cities with about 200,000 customers, ensuring safe, continuous and stable electricity supply, reducing the rate of electricity loss; making important contributions to the successful implementation of socio-economic development goals, ensuring production, consumption and living needs, and being trusted and highly appreciated by local authorities and people.
In recent years, the company has been focusing resources on investing in the construction of substations, renovating and upgrading the power grid, closely coordinating with localities to successfully complete criterion No. 4 on rural electricity in the National Criteria for New Rural Development. We visited Quang Duc commune (Quang Xuong), a commune with 1,750 households with about 1,800 thousand customers, including 1 garment factory, 1 high-tech agricultural farm, and more than 20 enterprises using electricity from Thanh Hoa Electricity Management and Trading Joint Stock Company (under TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company). Having received the power grid handover since 2013, the company has always paid attention to the investment in the construction of substations; upgrading and renovating power lines; regularly replacing and installing new meters; promptly troubleshooting when problems occur... "In 2023, Quang Duc commune was recognized as an advanced new rural commune. "In addition to the efforts of local Party committees, authorities and people, there is an important support from the electricity sector in general and Thanh Hoa Electricity Management and Trading Joint Stock Company in particular," said Mr. Le Thanh Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Duc commune. The local socio-economic situation is increasingly developing, the demand for electricity of the people is increasing, Mr. Binh suggested that "the Company continue to pay attention, have plans to invest, install more transformer stations; upgrade and renovate the power line to meet the needs of the people, contributing to the locality to well implement the set goals. The Government and the electricity sector need to study to be able to reduce electricity prices for the people".
Visiting the electricity management team of Tung Lam commune, Nghi Son town, Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong - head of the electricity management team of Tung Lam commune shared: "In Tung Lam commune, the company has invested in building 3 new transformer stations; replacing bare wires; moving and replacing substandard poles; balancing and balancing the load between transformer stations... Since the company took over the power grid, people have been able to buy electricity at the correct price regulated by the State and enjoy good electricity supply services."
It is expected that in 2024, XLĐL JSC will invest in building over 50 substations to prevent overloading of the regional power grid; replace bare wires with coated wires, and initially focus on speeding up progress in 12 communes where the company manages and trades electricity in Ha Trung district. Up to now, the company has energized 27 substations; upgraded branch roads in village roads and alleys from 1-phase to 3-phase wires; basically completed the relocation of electric poles out of the roadway and sidewalk... "The company always identifies the investment and construction of new substations for communes lacking substations and upgrading the low-voltage grid as one of the key and continuous tasks. The solutions are implemented synchronously, promptly and effectively to help improve voltage quality, reduce power loss, serve well the production, consumption and daily life needs of the people, and meet the goals of local socio-economic development. The company hopes to receive attention, facilitation, and close coordination from all levels, sectors, and localities, especially in site clearance, to help the company invest in basic construction smoothly, ensure progress, and quickly connect electricity to serve the people," said Mr. Nguyen Nhu Trieu, Deputy Director of Thanh Hoa Electricity Management and Trading Joint Stock Company.
Throughout its history of formation and development, the company has always strived and focused human and material resources to work with the electricity industry towards the highest goal of ensuring safe, continuous and stable electricity supply, serving well the production, consumption and living needs of the people, promoting the socio-economic development of the homeland and the country. The achievements and important contributions of TH Power Generation Joint Stock Company are convincing evidence in accordance with the spirit of "harmonious benefits, shared risks", vivid reality for private enterprises to enthusiastically "join in" developing the energy industry, especially participating in investing in the electricity distribution system, continuing to more deeply implement Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW into life.
Dang Khoa
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