Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed relevant authorities to take measures that will ensure electricity supply during this year’s dry season.
In a directive issued on April 5, the PM ordered the Ministry of Industry and Trade to instruct Vietnam Electricity and relevant authorities to regularly estimate the country’s supply of electricity. They should then balance electric capacity of the national power system to ensure enough electricity for production activities.
The two bodies have also been asked to monitor and enforce the timely execution of electricity projects to ensure such works will come into operation on schedule. The projects’ safety and quality must be ensured, according to the directive.
Mr. Dung further asked Vietnam Electricity to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to effectively use water sources for electricity generation and for agricultural production.
They should mobilize electric capacity of hydropower plants, power sources from private power plants and increase the import of electricity.
The Vietnamese economy is recovering, so demand for power is high.
In the first three months of 2010, power demand skyrocketed by 22 percent and it is forecast that demand will rise by 18 percent for the entire year. This could lead to a severe power shortage if authorities do not take timely measures.
