Quang Ninh industrial zones face electricity shortage: local authority

The province had 520 hectares of industrial zones with all the necessary infrastructure except for electricity, Vice Chairman of Quang Ninh Province People’s Committee Bui Van Khang said at the ministry’s year-end meeting Wednesday.

"There is land and infrastructure but not enough electricity for production activities," he said.

He specifically pointed out the Nam Tien Phong and Bac Tien Phong industrial zones, which receive only 50 MW of electricity daily, far below the several hundred MW required for daily operations.

Additionally, Khang mentioned that the Texhong – Hai Ha industrial zone's electrical substation is operating at full capacity and needs upgrading.

"Increasing power supply for industrial zones is an urgent task. I suggest the ministry and EVN look into it," he said.

In response, an energy industry official cited delayed electrical infrastructure projects in some provinces, including Quang Ninh, attributing them to slow approval processes and land clearance issues.

EVN Chairman Dang Hoang An stressed the need for collaboration between local authorities and investors to expedite these projects.

"Provinces with the need to upgrade their substations for industrial zones should promptly notify the energy industry so it can make timely preparations and investments, as electrical infrastructure projects take a long time to deploy," he said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has set a goal for 2024 to achieve a total energy production and import of 306.26 billion kWh, with 52% generated in the wet season and the remainder in the dry season.

Vietnam's total energy production and imports in 2023 amounted to 280.1 billion kWh, a 4.6% increase from 2022.