Vietnam Electricity powers up in the spirit of Uncle Ho’s teachings

In December 1954, President Ho Chi Minh visited the Bo Ho Lamp Factory and the Yen Phu Power Plant, telling the staff, “This factory is now owned by the people, the government, and you. You are the owners, so you have to take care of the factory to developed it further.”

Secretary of the EVN Party Committee Duong Quang Thanh (center) displays the VND400 billion contribution to the Vaccine Fund for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, 5 June 2021

In the spirit of those instructions, generations of cadres, party members, and employees have developed the country’s power industry from a 1954 power output in the north of the country of only 31.5MW to 76,620MW by the end of 2021. Vietnam’s power system currently tops Southeast Asia’s in terms of power capacity.

Large power projects built since then include the North-South 500kV super high-voltage transmission line, the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, and the Son La Hydropower Plant - the largest hydroelectric project in Southeast Asia. They reflect Vietnam’s self-reliance, technical innovation initiatives and optimization of internal resources to master advanced science and technology.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), Vietnam’s largest power company, has ensured stable and safe power supply to serve socioeconomic development, most recently during the COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 and 2021. By the end of 2021, all communes nationwide were connected to electricity, as well as 99.65 percent of urban and rural households.

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Automation and digital technology have been widely applied to the power system with most of 110-220kV substations operating by remote control. EVN has provided online electricity services through the National Public Service Portal and enhanced its labor productivity and corporate governance.

EVN continues to research and develop advanced technologies and implement digital transformation in all of its operations by 2025. In 2021, EVN was honored with the Excellent Digital Transformation Enterprise award for the third consecutive year.

However, EVN faces major challenges stemming from increasing electricity demand, complicated developments of the COVID-19, and ongoing political conflicts in the world. In addition, EVN still faces many difficulties in clearing sites for power projects, raising capital and fuel for power generation, and balancing revenue and costs in face of frequent fluctuations in the input factors of electricity production and business.

Nguyen Vu