National grid and Phu Quoc Island jointly develop

Improving the Power Infrastructure on the Island

The underwater power grid project connecting Phu Quoc Island – the Ha Tien – Phu Quoc submarine cable project, is a major undertaking of the electricity industry in general, and the Southern Power Corporation in particular. It has significant economic and social implications, transforming the face of the island paradise over the past 10 years.

In 2014, the Ha Tien – Phu Quoc 110kV submarine cable project was completed and put into operation, marking the official upgrade of Phu Quoc district to a second-tier urban area – Phu Quoc City, under Kien Giang province.

The Ha Tien – Phu Quoc 110kV submarine cable project consists of a main section, which is a 57.33km long underwater cable with a structure of one 630mm2, 3-core cable. This is also the longest underwater power cable in Southeast Asia, with a total investment of 2.336 trillion VND for the entire project.

The starting point of the submarine cable is in Thuan Yen commune, Ha Tien town, and the endpoint is in Ham Ninh commune, Phu Quoc district. Prior to that, to connect the Phu Quoc submarine cable project and enhance the power supply for Ha Tien town, the Southern Power Corporation has invested in 2 synchronized 110kV power grid projects. This includes the 18.2 km long, 2-circuit Kiên Lương – Ha Tien power line and the 40MVA Ha Tien 110/22kV- 40MVA substation.

Moreover, to maximize the potential of valuable electricity supply from the mainland, the Southern Power Corporation has also deployed electricity and power infrastructure projects on the island. The goal is to enhance the power supply capacity and provide electricity for new areas in Xa Ganh Dau, Bai Thom, as well as other important loads in Phu Quoc district such as Phu Quoc International Airport and An Thoi International Port.

It can be said that the Ha Tien – Phu Quoc 110kV submarine cable project has transformed the lives of the people and businesses on Phu Quoc Island in the past 10 years by providing safe and stable electricity. Previously, the average electricity price on the island was 5,060 VND/kWh, which has now been reduced by nearly 50%, equivalent to the average electricity price on the mainland.

The power grid meets the demands of socioeconomic development, enhances competitiveness, contributes to making Phu Quoc an important economic zone, a high-quality tourist destination in Vietnam, the region, and the world, and contributes to protecting and improving the environment on the island.

Electricity and Island Development Together

Since the milestone of “electricity to the island” in February 2014, Phu Quoc has undergone significant and rapid changes, particularly in the tourism sector. Specifically, the number of tourists visiting Phu Quoc Island has been increasing. One year after having “electricity to the island”, according to the Kien Giang Province Department of Tourism, in 2015, the island welcomed 913,000 tourists. In 2016, the number of visitors to the island increased by 1.5 times to over 1.5 million. In 2017, it doubled to nearly 3 million. In 2018, over 4 million tourists visited the island. In 2019, the number of visitors exceeded 5.1 million.

After a period of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from January 2023 to October 2023, there were nearly 5.2 million tourists visiting the island.

Notably, the proportion of international tourists to Phu Quoc Island has been consistently increasing year after year. Most visitors stay for an extended period of time. Currently, there are many direct international flights to Phu Quoc with 2-4 flights per week. Fixed international routes to the island include flights from South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The Southern Power Corporation also revealed that after the Ha Tien – Phu Quoc 110kV submarine cable line was put into operation, the power consumption on Phu Quoc Island has been continuously growing, with an average annual growth rate of over 45%. This is a very high growth rate compared to many other localities. To meet the rapidly increasing power consumption demand on Phu Quoc Island, the Southern Power Corporation has increased the capacity of substations and continued to invest in multiple power projects on the island.

Infrastructure investment to ensure sufficient power supply for Phu Quoc in the coming period is a top priority for the Southern Power Corporation. It is projected that the growth rate of commercial electricity consumption in the period from 2024 to 2030 on Phu Quoc Island will continue to be high, due to the rapid construction and completion of numerous hotel and resort projects. The average annual growth rate during the period from 2023 to 2025 is expected to be 17%. The total registered power load capacity by 2025 on Phu Quoc Island is projected to reach 502.9MVA. Most of this capacity comes from large-scale resort tourism projects on the island, which are currently being expedited by investors.

To ensure the power supply capacity for Phu Quoc Island, the Southern Power Corporation has implemented a number of crucial projects. This includes the Kiên Bình – Phu Quoc 220kV power line project with a total investment of over 2.212 trillion VND to enhance power supply, and the Phu Quoc – South Phu Quoc 110kV power line project to increase power distribution capacity. Both projects were completed in October 2022.

Currently, the Southern Power Corporation ensures stable and reliable power supply to Phu Quoc Island, with no prolonged overloading on the power distribution grid. The reliability of electricity supply has been significantly improved.