Vital power line nears completion
Vital power line nears completion
HA NOI (VNS)— Work on the construction and installation of a 500kV electric grid connecting five southern provinces and HCM City is speeding up to ensure an on-scheme completion by the end of this year, according to Electricity of Viet Nam.
The power line, named 500kV Pleiku-My Phuoc–Cau Bong, runs through HCM City, the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, and the central highland provinces of Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong.
The 437-km network will increase the electricity back-up capacity for the southern part of the country for the 2014-15 period.
It will then boost power connectivity throughout Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia after 2015.
The project has total investment of VND 9.3 trillion (US$442 million), funded from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank), Viet Nam Development Bank (VDB) and other financial resources.
The Project Management Board of Central Power Projects, a subsidiary of EVN, it is acting on behalf of the National Power Transmission Corporation (NPT) to implement the project.
By mid August this year, affected localities made necessary land clearances and gave constructors space for 901 of the 926 electric poles needed for the project, the board reported.
Out of 4,400 household in affected areas, about 3,730 households have received compensation so far.
Earlier this year Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged the southern and central highland localities to co-operate with the construction of the 500kv power line.
Previously, work was delayed due to reported difficulties in completing land clearances to make room for the expansive construction project.
Fifteen out of the sixteen contractors making foundations for the poles, are projected to complete their work in November this year.
However, according to NPT chairman Dang Phan Truong, contractors have made just over one third of the poles needed.
"If the power line project fails to follow the construction timeline, it will affect the power supply to HCM City and the southern region as of next year," Truong said.
Nguyen Duc Tuyen, head of the project management board of Central Power Projects, said a shortage of poles could hinder the progress of the whole project.
Tuyen urged contractors to speed up and ensure they could provide enough of the crucial poles on time.
vietnamnews
