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The water level at the Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir is only 22.76 meters above the dead storage capacity on June 13. |
According to the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the managers of hydropower reservoirs, the water flow into the hydropower reservoirs in the upper Northwest region on June 13 continued to increase slightly, but it remained insufficient to improve the electricity supply situation.
Updated data from the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) as of 2 p.m. on June 13 revealed that the water level at the Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir was only 22.76 meters above the dead storage capacity. Meanwhile, the water level at Son La hydropower reservoir had surpassed the dead level by 1.83 meters (updated as of 4 p.m. on June 13), thanks to a significant increase in water inflow (329 cubic meters per second).
As of the afternoon of June 13, the water level at the Lai Chau hydropower reservoir had also surpassed the dead storage capacity by 7.68 meters, compared to 6.9 meters on June 12, thanks to a water inflow of 287 cubic meters per second.
However, across the country, several hydropower reservoirs are approaching their dead storage capacity or have a low water level, which requires careful electricity generation. On June 13, hydropower reservoirs nearing the dead water level included Son La, Thac Ba, Ban Chat, Ban Ve, Hua Na, and Thac Mo.
Despite the water shortage, some reservoirs like Ban Chat and Huoi Quang are still striving to generate electricity to support other hydropower plants that need to temporarily shut down their units to conserve water.
On June 13, Mr. Pham Van Vuong, Director of Hoa Binh Hydropower Company, said that although the water level of Hoa Binh reservoir was merely 22 meters above the dead water level, such water flow is considered insignificant.
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Management and monitoring of water resources and electricity generation at Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant. |
Due to the dual role of the Hoa Binh hydropower plant in both generating electricity and ensuring downstream irrigation, the water inflow into the reservoir is only 457 cubic meters per second, whereas the outflow for electricity generation is 937 cubic meters per second (almost double).
Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant has a total capacity of 1,920 MW, with eight units. Under normal conditions, when operating at full capacity, it can generate approximately 9.832 billion kWh of electricity per year. However, from the beginning of the year until now, the total electricity generated and supplied to the grid has only reached around 3.5 billion kWh, which accounts for approximately 36 percent of the 2023 annual target.
