The 500kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen line is a national key project approved by the Prime Minister in principle for investment, with Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) assigned as the investor and Power Project Management Board 1 as the investor representative.

This is a 500kV double-circuit line project with a total length of 229.5km, with a total of 468 pole foundation locations. The project passes through Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc provinces; the starting point is Lao Cai 500kV station, the ending point is Vinh Yen 500kV station.

The total investment of the project is more than 7,410 billion VND, arranged from bank loans of 80% and EVN's counterpart capital of 20%.

Once put into operation, the 500kV line will be able to transmit about 3,000MW from hydropower plants in the Northwest region and neighboring provinces to the national grid and increase the ability to import electricity. At the same time, it will create a strong connection between regions in the power system, improve the ability to operate safely and stably for the national power system, and reduce power loss in the transmission grid.

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The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of energy in achieving the GDP growth target.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of achieving the GDP growth target of at least 8% by 2025 and double-digit growth in the coming years. The Prime Minister pointed out that energy is indispensable for growth; each percentage point of GDP growth will correspond to about 1.5 percentage points of electricity growth.

The Head of Government requested ministries, branches, agencies and localities to continue promoting lessons learned from the 500kV line 3 Quang Binh - Hung Yen project in managing and implementing this project and other major projects and works as well as socio-economic activities.

Accordingly, the work of management, leadership, direction, and command must be carried out with a clear ideology, high determination, great effort, decisive action, focus, and completion of each task. In addition, the assignment must be clear to the person, the task, the responsibility, the time, the product, and the results, so that it is easy to check, urge, and evaluate.

During the construction process, it is necessary to launch a vibrant patriotic emulation movement, promptly encourage and reward, with the spirit of "sharing, understanding, working together, enjoying together, winning together and developing together, having joy, happiness and pride together"; at the same time, promptly handle individuals and groups that do not perform their tasks well.

On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister acknowledged and commended EVN's efforts and efforts to improve efficiency in general operations, especially in completing large projects and tasks in a short time.

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The Prime Minister requested that the 500kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen line be completed no later than August 31 this year. Photo: VGP

For this project alone, EVN and the agencies have overcome many difficulties, urgently completing a huge amount of work to meet the conditions for commencement, especially mobilizing capital for the project.

The Prime Minister also highly appreciated and commended the efforts of the local authorities of the four provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc who agreed, joined hands and unanimously carried out the work of compensation and site clearance to hand over the site to the contractor for construction of the project.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed EVN to promote the spirit of determination and speed in implementing the recent 500kV line 3 Quang Trach - Pho Noi project, to implement the project faster, with better quality, cheaper, safer, more effective, to solve social security issues better, and to ensure better environmental sanitation compared to the 500kV line 3 project.

Regarding progress, the Prime Minister requested construction within 6 months, completed no later than August 31 this year, contributing to promoting growth and completing the set goals and targets.

To achieve this goal, the Prime Minister emphasized that contractors must continue to promote the construction spirit of "overcoming the sun and rain", "working overtime", "eating and sleeping quickly", "working at night when the day is not enough", "working in 3 shifts, 4 shifts, through holidays and Tet".

Central and local agencies and units must coordinate closely and actively support investors; EVN leaders and the Project Management Board must closely follow the construction site, promptly resolve arising difficulties and problems, and create motivation and inspiration for those on the construction site.

Along with that, we must pay attention to taking care of people's lives, arranging enough resettlement land, and promptly relocating and resettling households to hand over the site for construction work.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the Government and ministries and branches will always accompany, stand side by side, and fully support agencies, units, localities, and enterprises in implementing projects.

Inauguration of the 500kV line 3, Quang Trach - Pho Noi, bringing electricity to the North. The 500kV line 3 extension project connecting Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen) is a key, urgent project, playing a particularly important role in national energy security.