“500kV Power Line Project: ‘Terminating’ Contractors on Site”

During the inspection of the construction progress at the 500kV Nam Dinh I – Thanh Hoa Thermal Power Plant project by contractor Phuong Hanh Co., Ltd. on February 28, the EVNNPT working group discovered several issues related to the slow construction progress of the contractor on the 500kV Line Circuit 3, which is being urgently implemented along the entire route.

Reporting on the construction site of the 500kV line at Nam Dinh I – Thanh Hoa Thermal Power Plant executed by Phuong Hanh Co., Ltd., the representative of the Construction Management Board stated that there are still 8 piles that have not been constructed, not yet excavated, and piles not yet driven. Regarding the Nam Dinh I – Pho Noi line, Phuong Hanh Co., Ltd. still has 16/16 piles that have not been constructed/not yet excavated/piles not yet driven. The Quynh Luu – Thanh Hoa line also has 11/11 piles that have not been constructed/not yet excavated/piles not yet driven. The total number of positions that have not been constructed, not yet excavated, and piles not yet driven by the 3 contractors on the 3 transmission lines is up to 35 positions.

Notably, for the Nam Dinh I – Thanh Hoa transmission line, the number of pile driving machines arranged in the new tenders is 6, which is still insufficient compared to the commitment of 1 machine/position by the contractor despite the fact that the parties had met and had minutes of the meeting on February 16 regarding the contractor’s slow progress. Accordingly, the consultant has reported and demanded that the contractor urgently supplement an additional 12 pile driving machines to ensure the simultaneous construction of all pile positions.

Witnessing pile position 59 located in Nga Phu commune (Nga Son district, Thanh Hoa) after 2 months of handover without any construction work, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Tung – Chairman of EVNNPT – immediately requested to replace the contractor Phuong Hanh due to the numerous delays in progress compared to the signed contract.

According to Mr. Tung, up to the current time, the construction progress of contractor Phuong Hanh at the 500kV Nam Dinh 1 – Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh 1 – Pho Noi, Quynh Luu – Thanh Hoa projects is very slow compared to the progress in the signed contract. Some pile positions have been handed over for 1-2 months but contractor Phuong Hanh has not yet started construction work, and has not allocated enough pile driving machines for the pile positions, which poses many risks of delaying the project’s progress.

“This decision is final, no more discussion is needed. If Phuong Hanh still has no action for pile positions that have been handed over for more than 1 month, they must be handed over immediately. You have 28 pile positions, but now only 17 have been completed. The remaining 11 pile positions have not been worked on at all, while construction work needs to be completed and the piles need to be poured by March 30. Phuong Hanh must take responsibility along with the leadership of the Northern Power Projects Management Board to find a replacement contractor with sufficient capacity and comply with the regulations in order to hand it over to them. The cost is up to you,” Mr. Tung directed and requested contractor Phuong Hanh to continue clearing the access road to the construction site while waiting for the replacement contractor.

Responding to the issue of delayed construction of pile positions, Mr. Le The Hanh – General Director of Phuong Hanh Co., Ltd. – said that the reason for the delay in construction of 2 pile positions 59 and 67 is that it took more than a month to negotiate compensation with the commune. From this afternoon, the unit has opened the access road from position 57 to position 58. At noon on February 29, the access road to position 59 will be opened.

“Including construction and pile driving, it will take 53 days. I will guarantee that all pile works at this position will be completed by April 30,” Mr. Hanh stated.

However, when questioned by the Chairman of EVNNPT about why there is only one excavation machine and no report was made to the investor when encountering problems, Mr. Hanh was hesitant and affirmed that he will ensure the construction progress by completing all the pile works by April 30.

To accelerate the progress of the transmission line projects, the EVNNPT leadership also requested the EVNNPT General Director’s Office to proactively direct and develop plans to mobilize all resources of the contractors, transmission companies within the EVNNPT, power companies within EVN, and units at the local level to support and implement power cutting tasks, pole erection, wire pulling simultaneously on the line in the coming period.

The Chairman of EVNNPT requested the relevant departments and units to strongly manage and urge contractor Phuong Hanh to provide more manpower, construction machines, pile driving machines; implement construction work in 3 shifts and 4 crews and deploy “4 at the scene”… to expedite the construction progress of the delayed pile works, complete insulation before June 30 this year as directed by the Prime Minister. The contractors must also proactively review, manage, and urge to ensure the supply progress of steel columns, materials and equipment that are suitable to the construction progress, avoiding situations where “the pile construction is completed and waiting for the column” or “the column construction is completed and waiting for the wire and insulating accessories”.

“The supervising consulting units, the supervisory officers of the Northern Project Management Board and the Central Project Management Board must regularly update and report on the progress, record the construction daily, take pictures of the construction site at each pile position according to regulations,” emphasized Mr. Tung.