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EVN reports delay in power generation projects, again
The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has reported that the supply of electricity from new power plants this year will be 1,000 MW lower than expected, or only 37 percent of the target, but emphasised that the completion of power generation projects was out of its control.
Five power plants which previously planned to provide electricity in 2009 have officially reported that they will be unable to provide electricity for the national grid until 2010. These include the 160MW Ban Ve hydropower plant in Nghe An province, 173 MW An Khe Kanak in Binh Dinh Gia Lai, 180MW Dong Nai 3 in Lam Dong and Dak Nong.
Two thermopower plants in the north, the 300MW Quang Ninh 1 and 300MS Hai Phong 2, have also reported one-year delays in providing electricity.
With the delay of the power plant projects, the total electricity output from new power plants will be 1,113MW lower than expected.
According to Director of Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the delay of the electricity generation projects is a regularly seen thing when a country is implementing a power system programme. The delay of just one item in a plant is enough to lead to the delay of the electricity generation of the whole plant.
EVN’s General Director Dinh Quang Tri said that there are many reasons behind the tardiness in fulfilling power generation projects, but stressed that the main reason is contractors.
Tri said that when the high inflation occurred in 2008, a lot of contractors were hit hard and slowed down the pace of projects because they did not have enough money to purchase materials.
EVN once reported to the Ministry of Industry and Trade about the case of the Pleikrong hydropower plant, where the contractors were slow in providing the technological drawings and equipment for the project.
As for the 1,000MW Mong Duong thermopower plant No 1, the plant was initially scheduled to kick off in December 2009. However, EVN said that it would not get approval for loans from ADB until next week. Therefore, the initially set plan to invite for bids will also be delayed. If the bidding goes smoothly, the project will be able to start in the first quarter of 2010 at the soonest.
As for the 600MW Nghi Son thermopower, EVN said that contractors all have set overly high prices of $1,700-2,300 KW, which means that the electricity price will be high.
A lot of other power projects are also getting stuck in the site clearance phase or delayed because of unfavourable weather.
EVN now has 14 hydropower plants and nine thermopower plants which are scheduled to become operational in the period between 2010-2015. Of these plants, 13 plants have seen their openings delayed by at least one year. Meanwhile, EVN is reconsidering the project efficiency of the Thac Mo hydropower plant in Binh Phuoc province.
Pham Huyen
vietnamnet
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