Floods everywhere, many hydroelectric reservoirs in the North and Central regions are forced to release floodwaters

On August 7, EVN said: According to actual hydrological developments, the National Power System Control Center has increased hydropower operations, and some hydropower reservoirs have had to discharge overflow.

At 8:00 a.m. on August 7, some hydroelectric reservoirs had to discharge spillways for regulation, such as Lai Chau, Huoi Quang, Trung Son, Khe Bo, Song Ba Ha, An Khe, Srepok 3, and Buon Kuop.

The National Power System Control Center requested power generation units in the system to strictly comply with control orders to ensure safe operation of the power system in the context of rain and floods occurring in many areas.

EVN is proposed to proactively operate reservoirs in the Red River basin (Photo: Thach Thao)

In a document sent to Vietnam Electricity Group on August 5, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control requested EVN to proactively operate reservoirs in the Red River basin to respond to heavy rains and floods and ensure effective use of water resources.

The Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control stated that in the past 7 days, the Northern region has experienced heavy rain from 150-250mm, and the water level of hydroelectric reservoirs tends to increase rapidly.

Specifically, at 9:00 a.m. on August 5, the water level of Son La Lake was 1.1m lower, Hoa Binh Lake was 1.68m lower, and Tuyen Quang Lake was 3.09m lower than the highest water level before the flood during the main flood season.

According to the forecast bulletin of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from now until August 8, the northern mountainous region will continue to have heavy rain, some places will have very heavy rain, with rainfall ranging from 100-220mm, some places over 300mm.

To cope with the developments of heavy rains and floods and ensure the effective use of water resources, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control requested EVN to direct reservoir owners to proactively operate power generation to effectively use water resources; review plans to ensure the safety of works and downstream areas; and strictly implement the Inter-reservoir Operation Procedure in the Red River Basin.

Due to the impact of floods and landslides occurring in many areas, some roads at hydroelectric plants were blocked due to landslides and have been repaired by local authorities in coordination with the authorities, such as the Huoi Quang Hydroelectric Plant.

According to EVN, the development of floods and landslides also affects the operation of the power grid in some areas in the North:

In Yen Bai: The Ho Bon hydropower plant area had a large flash flood and landslide causing a problem with the 110kV line and the property of the Ho Bon hydropower plant headquarters. On National Highway 32 in the area of Khao Mang and Ho Bon communes of Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province, this area lost information, traffic was paralyzed, the entire Mu Cang Chai district lost power, vehicles could not pass, even on foot, and there was a serious landslide on the positive slope.

The medium and low voltage power grid in some areas in Yen Bai also suffered problems due to prolonged rains. Mu Cang Chai district lost power at 80 transformer stations. Currently, the Mu Cang Chai - Lai Chau traffic route is impassable due to landslides, and units of Yen Bai Electricity Company are deploying troubleshooting teams to reach the scene.

In Son La: Some electric poles and some 35kV power lines in Muong La and Quynh Nhai districts were buried and broken, affecting the power supply to some customers in the area. For the above incident areas, due to many landslides and cut-off roads, equipment and materials have not been transported to fix the problem. Son La Power Company is continuing to closely monitor the situation to urgently fix the problem, and is expected to restore power to customers on August 9.

In Lai Chau: Some roads and hills in the Ban Mui area were eroded, causing a 35 kV power line failure in Ban Mui, causing power outages at 5 transformer stations. Lai Chau Power Company is continuing to monitor the situation to approach the scene and fix the problem.

In Dien Bien: The rain and floods also caused some 35 kV power poles in Nam Ha area to have their foundations eroded, posing a risk of an incident. Power units in Dien Bien have dug drainage ditches to prevent rainwater from flowing into the foundations of the poles, and are continuing to monitor and respond.

EVN and other units said they are still closely monitoring the developments of floods in the areas to continue updating information on the impact on power source and grid operations as well as troubleshooting and restoring power supply to customers as soon as possible.

EVN worries about hydropower plants discharging excess water during the rainy and stormy season . Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has reminded hydropower companies to closely coordinate with the National Power System Dispatch Center to effectively exploit water resources, limit excess discharge during the rainy and stormy season, and ensure reservoir water storage at the end of the flood season.

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