Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has sent an urgent request to the Minister of Industry and Trade seeking support to address difficulties in arranging power outages for the construction of the 500kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line.

According to EVN, the disconnection of intersecting power lines for the project began on August 1. However, only 4 out of 15 intersections have been completed, with 11 still pending. Of these, four remain stalled due to hydropower plants refusing to approve outages, namely Ta Thang, Song Bac, Tram Tau, and others. Several plants have been slow to respond or confirm, including Vinh Ha, Bac Ha, Song Lo 6, Song Lo 4, Su Pan 1, Ban Ho, and Nam Sai.

EVN warned that the slow disconnection progress is seriously affecting the project schedule. The group and its Project Management Board 1 (EVNPMB1) have held multiple meetings with the hydropower operators, but some still resist planned outages.

To ensure progress in line with the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 81, EVN proposed that the Minister direct the National Power System and Market Operation Company (NSMO) to carry out line outages according to EVNPMB1’s registered schedule. EVN also recommended amending Clause 4, Article 54 of Circular 06/2025/TT-BCT to give NSMO greater authority in approving outage schedules, easing difficulties for investors building projects involving multiple operators.

The Lao Cai - Vinh Yen 500kV transmission line is a national key project assigned to EVN by the Prime Minister. With total investment exceeding 7.41 trillion VND (about USD 292 million), the line will run approximately 229.5 km from the 500kV Lao Cai substation to the 500kV Vinh Yen substation, crossing Lao Cai and Phu Tho provinces.

On August 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the construction site and ordered the project to be completed by August 19 to improve the safety and stability of the national grid, release capacity from Northwest hydropower plants, and boost socio-economic, urban, industrial, and service development.

Tam An