EVN receives $104M for Con Dao islands' grid connection project

By Anh Minh January 9, 2024 | 02:26 am PT

A beach on on Con Dao Islands off the coast Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. Photo by VnExpress/Meo Gia

The government will use state money to give power utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) VND2.53 trillion (US$104 million) to connect the tourism archipelago of Con Dao with the national grid.

This will cover around half of the amount needed to link the archipelago off the coast of the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau, according to a government proposal to the National Assembly.

The remaining amount of VND2.42 trillion will come from EVN’s own fund.

The project was approved in June last year by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

EVN will connect the island with the grid by a 110-kilovolt 73-kilometer undersea cable and a 23-kilometer overhead cable.

Con Dao is now using diesel-powered sources at the cost of VND5,000-6,000 per kilowatt-hour, which is double the retail electricity price of VND3,151.

This means the more power is produced the bigger EVN’s loss is on the archipelago.

The archipelago’s electricity demand is projected to reach 24.5 megawatts by 2025 and 114.4 megawatts by 2045.