Electrical Grid Development in Dong Nai

​With electricity consumption of nearly 14 billion kWh (in 2020) with an average growth rate of nearly 7% per year in the 2016-2020 period, Dong Nai is one of the three largest electricity consumer in the country. Over the past years, the electricity sector has always strived to ensure enough supply for the province’s socio-economic development.

Inspection & acceptance of equipment installation at Unit 2 -110kV Binh Son Transformer Station before energizing.

Due to the rapid speed of urbanization and industrialization, some areas are overloaded and there is a danger of power shortage. Therefore, building a power grid system to meet requirements of production, daily life and transmission of renewable energy sources is necessary. Especially in near future, Dong Nai has more areas and projects that need large electricity such as Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Seaport, industrial zones/clusters in the planning.

Supply responsiveness

Determining the development of power grid system is an important task for realization of production and business goals and contributes to promoting Dong Nai’s socio-economy, over the years, Dong Nai Electricity One Member Limited Company (Dong Nai PC) has invested and put into use hundreds of power grid projects, thereby creating a synchronous and relatively complete grid system.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Chairman and Director of Dong Nai PC, said that, on the basis of electricity grid development planning in each period, over the past 5 years, Dong Nai PC and the Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC) have mobilized resources to deploy hundreds of power lines and transformer stations to residential and resettlement areas, large fields and concentrated agricultural production areas, projects on hi-tech agricultural zones, remote and isolated areas of Dong Nai, thereby contributing to opening opportunities for economic development, tourism, investment attraction, improving people’s lives and completing spend on building a new countryside. Currently, Dong Nai PC is managing over 557 kilometers of 110kV lines, 27 110kV substations, nearly 6,000 kilometers of medium voltage lines, 7 thousand kilometers of low voltage lines. Electricity consumption in 2020 is expected to reach nearly 14 billion kWh, ranking 3rd nationwide, and one of the three largest electricity consumer in terms of grid development in rural areas with proportion of households using national grid electricity reached over 99.9%.

In addition to concentrating investment resources for grid works to communes/wards, the Power sector is also interested in investing and upgrading infrastructure to ensure supply of key Izs&ICs to operate stably and expand the scale. As for new industrial zones and clusters, the Power sector gives priority to one step ahead, creating favorable conditions for infrastructure construction and to attract investment. Currently, Dong Nai PC is supplying electricity to over 884 thousand customers, of which 7 are using 110kV electricity. Production of electricity industry - construction accounts for nearly 75%.

One of the issues of concern and investment priorities of the Power sector in the current period is the development of power transmission infrastructure for renewable energy projects. According to Dong Nai PC leader, Dong Nai is one of the localities that is developing “hot” solar power. In order to create favorable conditions for people, businesses and private investors who are developing solar power on lakes, agricultural farms, industrial factory roofs, household roofs, the Power sector is interested in investing in power transmission infrastructure and stations to receive power sources. This is a solution to both reduce the pressure on the power supply for the power sector, and contribute to completing the grid system in the regions.

Network perfection

Dong Nai has more projects to be built in the next 5-year development plan. These include Long Thanh International Airport Project, which is scheduled to start construction in 2021 and go into operation in the first phase in 2025; Phuoc An Seaport System and Logistics Service Area; Long Thanh High-Tech IZ; new local IZs and ICs, etc. In addition, a series of IZs and ICs such as Dau Giay, Long Khanh, Amata, Long Duc, Tan Phu, Xuan Loc, Dinh Quan have been or are applying for expansion policies. Therefore, the demand for electricity, especially electricity for industrial production and construction, will continue to increase.

Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT) Thai Thanh Phong said that in the next 5 years, the demand for electricity supply in Dong Nai will continue to increase and such expected amount is not lower than the average level in 2016-2020 period (7% per year). To ensure the power supply for industrial development, the DoIT has worked with the local People’s Committees, Dong Nai PC and EVNSPC to unify the policy and find a disassembly plan for Giang Dien 110kV station and connection lines; Dinh Quan 2 110kV station and connection lines; completion of renovation project to increase capacity of 110kV transmission line from 220kV Long Binh Substation - Loteco 110kV Substation (Section 1) and from 500kV Song May Substation - Thong Nhat 110kV substation (Section 2), and rehabilitation works to increase capacity of 110kV transmission line from 500kV Song May Substation - Bac Son 110kV Substation (Section 1) and from 110kV Bac Son Substation - Tan Hoa 110kV substation (Section 2), etc.

Besides the national grid system, Dong Nai also cares about and supports the development of gas and solar power. Specifically, in terms of thermal power, recently, Dong Nai unanimously agreed to allow PetroVietnam Power Corporation to invest in building more Nhon Trach 3 and 4 power plants in Nhon Trach district. These two plants have a capacity of 750MW with electricity output of 10.5 billion kWh/year, and are expected to start construction in the first quarter of 2021. Regarding solar power, this province facilitates and encourages homeowners and factory owners in industrial zones, high-tech agricultural farm owners and private investors invest in the installation and exploitation of solar power from people’s houses, factory roofs, and lake beds. According to power sector estimation, by the end of 2020, the total installed capacity of solar power in this province will reach about 150MWp. These are important sources of additional energy to the grid electricity that are in danger of shortage.

Phan Anh