Overcoming barriers, "igniting" the electric current

For the past 30 years, the 500kV North-South transmission line has affirmed its role as a “lifeline”. However, this “highway” for power transmission has become overloaded since 2020, when the demand for connecting the inter-regional power grid has doubled. Therefore, the Government has issued drastic instructions, mobilizing the entire political system to “unleash” abundant electricity to serve the country’s construction.

Engineers and technical workers are working day and night to urgently deploy the 500kV line 3 circuit items through Thanh Hoa.

Urgent "thirst" for electricity in the North

During the period 2016-2020 and before, the 500kV North-South line was tasked with bringing electricity from the North to the Central region and then to the South. However, since 2020, this ultra-high voltage line has often been overloaded, having to “support” about 49 million kWh of electricity from the Central and Southern regions to the North every day.

According to the National Power Transmission Corporation - the operator of the 500kV North - South transmission line, in recent years, when the North enters the peak dry season from April to July, the power grid often has to carry a load of 2,500 - 2,600MW, sometimes even reaching the system's limit of 2,800MW to meet about 12.5% ​​of the total power supply for the North. In particular, some sections such as: Da Nang - Vung Ang, Vung Ang - Ha Tinh - Nho Quan and Ninh Binh - Bim Son, are often put in an alarming state when the load capacity exceeds the safety limit.

According to the Institute of Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, electricity has been and will continue to be “reversed” in the coming time, as the North cannot develop many new power sources. Meanwhile, electricity load continues to increase due to the development of new economic zones, industrial zones and weather forecasts that continue to be extreme.

According to the analysis and assessment of Vietnam Electricity Group, the Northern region's electricity source mainly depends on hydropower and thermal power. In favorable circumstances, the Northern region's electricity structure will have about 43% coming from hydropower, 48% from coal-fired thermal power, and 9% from imports; but in the difficult period due to climate change, the electricity source from hydropower is unstable and continuously decreases sharply. Typically, in 2023, hydropower will only meet 27.5% when all 12 large hydropower reservoirs have the lowest water flow and frequency in the past century.

In the first months of 2024, hydrological conditions continued to deteriorate. To maximize water savings in hydroelectric reservoirs, thermal power sources were mobilized at a maximum of up to 50%. However, mobilizing thermal power is also facing difficulties due to increasingly scarce coal fuel sources and continuously increasing prices. Meanwhile, renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar power are unevenly distributed and are concentrated up to 99% in the South and Central regions.

In Thanh Hoa, according to the Department of Industry and Trade, electricity supplied to the national grid comes from 19 operating power plants, with a total capacity of more than 2,488MW. Of these, there are 13 hydropower projects with a total capacity of 610.66MW; 2 thermal power plants with a total capacity of 1,800MW; 1 solar power plant with a capacity of 30MW; 3 biomass power plants with a total capacity of 47.7MW. While the supply from the 2 thermal power plants is large, the high price of input fuel has caused difficulties for businesses, while the supply from hydropower is still unstable due to its dependence on hydrology.

Typically, from 2023 to now, Trung Son Hydropower Plant has continuously encountered difficulties in ensuring the mobilization requirements of the National Power System Dispatch Center (A0) in terms of time and capacity. The reason is that the hydropower reservoir is facing dead water levels. The water shortage and drought situation continues to last until early 2024. Mr. Le Tan Duy, Head of Safety Engineering Department, Trung Son Hydropower Company Limited, said: "In the first 6 months of the year, the plant has only generated 257.69 million kWh of electricity. Although this figure has increased by 42% over the same period, it has only reached 27.5% of the plan assigned by the Northern Power Corporation for the year".

While supply is facing difficulties, demand for electricity in the North continues to increase. In the whole region, the growth rate of electricity capacity is currently about 10% lower than the region's electricity demand. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the current available capacity of all sources in the North is 17,500 - 17,900MW. Meanwhile, demand is about 20,000MW and can reach 23,500 - 24,000MW during hot weather. Thus, it is estimated that each day, the North will lack 30.9 million kWh and on the highest day it can reach 50.8 million kWh during extreme weather.

In particular, the demand for electricity peaked this summer and the peak load capacity set a new record. Typically, on June 19, the peak capacity of the national power system reached 49,533MW; the national power consumption on June 14 also peaked at 1.025 billion kWh. The National Power System Control Center had to establish methods and operate the power system, develop power supply scenarios, and update weekly factors on power production, load demand, and hydrological developments to proactively establish and adjust the power system operation plan with the goal of ensuring adequate power supply in all situations.

Mr. Hoang Hai, Director of Thanh Hoa Electricity Company, said: “Thanh Hoa is one of the provinces with the largest electricity consumption in the North. With the strong development of Nghi Son Economic Zone and industrial parks, according to calculations by the Northern Power Corporation, Thanh Hoa's electricity load demand is forecast to increase by 10%/year or more. Typically, in the first months of 2024, when the economic situation had many positive changes, some industrial and construction customers showed signs of good recovery, economic sectors had relatively high growth rates, causing the total commercial electricity output in the first 6 months in the province to reach more than 3.77 billion kWh, an increase of 12.15% over the same period. In the first 7 months of 2024, the daily capacity in Thanh Hoa increased by 14.8% over the same period, the daily output (Amax) in 7 months also increased by 15.8% over the same period.

Also this summer, the intense and widespread heat has caused the maximum capacity (Pmax) in Thanh Hoa to be the highest ever. According to actual measurements from the remote control center, Thanh Hoa Electricity Company shows that in June 2024, the province's Pmax reached 1,468.3MW. In particular, on June 21-22, the capacity reached its highest peak ever. Specifically, on June 21, the province's Pmax reached 1,468.3MW, and on June 22, the province's Pmax reached 1,406.3MW.

tireless efforts

Many energy experts say that the transmission “cake” is not attractive to investors, because the average time to deploy a transmission line is many times longer than a power source project due to the cost and time of compensation and site clearance (GPMB). Along with that, the current transmission unit price is quite low, which is a decisive difficulty for projects funded by both the State and private capital.

However, in order to “urgently” supply electricity to the Northern market, meet the needs of production, business and attract foreign investment, key transmission projects have been urgently directed by the Government, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to be implemented. In particular, the national key project of the 500kV Line 3 from Quang Trach (Quang Binh) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen) is being called a miracle with the shortest implementation time in the history of the Vietnamese electricity industry. This is also a project that demonstrates the bold plans to “go ahead and pave the way”, as well as the spirit of solidarity of the entire nation!

For the 500kV Transmission Line Project of Nam Dinh 1 Thermal Power Plant - Thanh Hoa: By February 19, Thanh Hoa province had completed the mobilization to hand over the entire site of 133/133 column foundation locations; by May 18, the mobilization to hand over the entire site of 55/55 anchorage spaces to the investor.

For the Quynh Luu - Thanh Hoa 500kV Transmission Line Project: By March 4, Thanh Hoa province had completed the mobilization to hand over the entire site of 166/166 column foundation locations; by May 29, the mobilization to hand over the entire site of 82/82 anchorage spaces to the investor.

To successfully implement this project, it can be said that the entire political system of the country has joined in, from removing difficulties in mechanisms and policies to site clearance work, mobilizing human resources, equipment and construction organization. As a historical coincidence, the spirit of determination, daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, along with the spirit of creative labor competition, the courage and sacrifice of tens of thousands of "warriors" are recreating the beautiful images of 30 years ago.

On the 519km long construction site, passing through 211 communes and wards of 43 districts and towns in 9 provinces, the spirit of lightning-fast construction, the spirit of "only working, no retreating", "overcoming the sun and rain", "eating and sleeping quickly", "working in 3 shifts, 4 shifts", "working through holidays and Tet" seems to have become the "command" of the heart, urging the bravery and sacrifice of thousands of transmission "soldiers", cadres and technical workers across the harsh construction sites of the Central region.

And today, the miracle of faith and solidarity is about to bear “sweet fruit”. After just over 6 months, 4 component projects of the 500kV line 3 and auxiliary works have been basically completed. Notably, on June 30, the line section from Nam Dinh Thermal Power Plant to Thanh Hoa was completed and energized. On June 28, the 500kV Thanh Hoa transformer station was also completed. Before that, a number of other connecting lines on the line were also completed, promptly reducing the load on the 500kV grid from the Central region to the North.

Thanh Hoa joins hands to continue writing the "historical epic"

Implementing the key project of 500kV circuit 3, for Thanh Hoa, is both an honor and pride, but also places great responsibilities on the shoulders of the Party Committee and authorities at all levels, because with a huge amount of work but the requirements are extremely urgent. Thanh Hoa is the locality with the largest number of column foundations (299/1,177); at the same time, it is also 1 of 2 provinces with the longest line scale (131km/519km). The first difficulty is the extremely large amount of work that needs to be cleared, passing through 11 districts and towns in the province.

Check and maintain equipment valves of Nghi Son 2 BOT Thermal Power Plant.

It can be said that there has never been a project where the Party Committee's involvement and direction on site clearance work has become as "hot" and drastic as this project. By correctly, sufficiently and flexibly applying the State's policies and mechanisms, ensuring the rights of the people, along with skillful and flexible mass mobilization work, Thanh Hoa has become one of the first three provinces along the entire route to complete site clearance work, earlier than the deadline that the province committed to the Prime Minister.

Early site clearance has created many favorable conditions for construction organization. Although the volume of column foundations and anchorage is many times greater than that of other localities along the entire route, the rate of construction items in Thanh Hoa is always "one step ahead". In particular, on the line section passing through Thanh Hoa, the first package - package 39 passing through Nga Son district, finished the earliest on the entire route. The Nam Dinh 1 Thermal Power Plant - Thanh Hoa project has up to 133/180 column foundation locations in the province, and finished on schedule on June 30.

According to Deputy Director of the National Power Transmission Corporation Luu Viet Tien, the Nam Dinh 1 - Thanh Hoa Thermal Power Plant Project, the Thanh Hoa 500kV Transformer Station, especially the packages passing through the province, have been given favorable conditions in terms of land. In places such as Nga Son and Thieu Hoa districts, the site clearance work has achieved record results. These are the prerequisites for the project's success.

Not only devoted to the site clearance work, the business community and contractors in Thanh Hoa have also contributed and recorded great "merits" for the success of this special project. It is an honor and pride that the first contractor to have a package that has finished the entire route is a local contractor - Phuong Hanh Company Limited. Northern Electromechanical Company Limited in Tay Bac Ga Industrial Park, Dong Tho, Thanh Hoa City is also one of the few domestic enterprises participating in the production and supply of steel columns and has delivered ahead of schedule to the construction contractor.

Following the direction of the Prime Minister and the determination of Vietnam Electricity Group, the National Power Transmission Corporation and contractors, it is expected that on September 2, the entire 500kV line 3 circuit will be completed and inaugurated, doubling the joy in the triumphal song of the whole nation on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the country's National Day!

On December 21, 1954, President Ho Chi Minh visited and had a friendly talk with the staff and workers of Yen Phu Power Plant - the place that produced "immortal electricity" during the resistance war against France and the years when the US attacked the North. Here, he advised: "The Fatherland needs electricity like the body needs blood", "We save electricity to preserve the "blood vessels" for each family as well as the whole economy". Nearly 70 years have passed, Uncle Ho's teachings are still valuable, even "hotter" than ever, when the need for energy sources to serve the country's industrialization and modernization is increasingly urgent.

Article and photos: Minh Hang

Lesson 2: DSM/DR Program: Mutual Benefits.

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/to-quoc-can-dien-nhu-co-the-can-mau-bai-1-vuot-rao-can-khoi-dong-dien-221600.htm