Vietnam’s national grid ranks 3rd in ASEAN, 31st in world: EVN chief
Monday, December 22, 2014, 16:16 GMT+7
The state-run Vietnamese electricity giant Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said Sunday that it is operating one of the largest power grids in Southeast Asia.
The Vietnamese national grid has an installed capacity of more than 34,000MW, standing third among the ASEAN countries and 31st on the global scale, Pham Le Thanh, general director of EVN, said during a ceremony in Hanoi.
The event was held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the power sector’s traditional day and receive the Ho Chi Minh Order, the country's second highest award. This is the second such award EVN has been granted.
ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations and includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Thanh said Vietnam’s power system allows electricity to be generated at reasonable costs.
The general director also asserted that EVN will begin piloting a competitive market for power purchase, in which eligible electricity corporations, power firms and businesses with huge demand for electricity will be allowed to buy power directly from the generators.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai asked EVN to exert more effort to ensure electricity supply for the nation, increase the quality of power supply, and apply measures to save the country’s natural resources.
EVN should also increase investment in the development of power sources and grids, as well as improve its administrative management.
The firm is selling electricity at an average price of VND1,508.85 a kWh, a rate it set in August 2013.
It is considering applying a 9.5 percent increase on power prices next year, sending them to VND1,652.19 a kWh, according to Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.
If approved, the price increase will strongly affect the manufacturing sector.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has capped power prices at VND1,835 a kWh between 2013 and 2015, so the proposed new price is still under the ceiling.
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