The End of Local Power Shortages: The 500 KV Line 3 Success

The inauguration of the 500 KV power line Project, the 3rd circuit from Quang Trach (Quang Binh province) to Pho Noi (Hung Yen province), took place on August 29th in Hung Yen. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with leaders of ministries, sectors, and local authorities at 9 locations, officiated the inauguration ceremony of the 500 KV power transmission line Project, the 3rd circuit from Quang Trach to Pho Noi.

A “Miracle” in the Power Sector

At the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged the project’s special importance to the country’s energy security and praised it as a practical achievement to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2nd) and the 70th anniversary of the traditional day of Vietnam’s power sector.

The 500 KV power line projects of the 3rd circuit have a total length of 519 km, starting from the Quang Trach Power Center and ending at the Pho Noi 500 KV substation. They comprise four component projects: the 500 KV Quang Trach – Quynh Luu power line, the 500 KV Quynh Luu – Thanh Hoa power line, the 500 KV Nam Dinh I Thermal Power Plant – Thanh Hoa power line, and the 500 KV Nam Dinh I Thermal Power Plant – Pho Noi power line. These lines pass through nine provinces: Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, and Hung Yen, with a total investment of nearly VND 22,300 billion.

The Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) assigned the National Power Transmission Corporation as the investor and the Project Management Boards of Power Projects in the Northern and Central regions to manage the projects on behalf of the investor. These transmission lines play a particularly crucial role in enhancing the stability of the power system’s operation on the North-Central interface, contributing to supplementing power capacity from the North-Central region’s power sources to the load center in the North. They also transmit power from thermal power plants and renewable energy sources in the North-Central region to the national grid. Additionally, they reduce the load on the existing 500 KV power lines, especially when the transmitted power is high on the North-Central interface, and the output of hydroelectric plants in the North is low. Specifically, they increase the transmission capacity of the 500 KV system from the Central to the North from 2,500 MW to 5,000 MW, enhancing electricity supply to the North in 2025 and subsequent years. They also reduce the risk of congestion and overload on the existing 500 KV power lines and substations, contributing to ensuring national energy security.

According to EVN Director General Nguyen Anh Tuan, the construction process faced significant challenges, including the need to compensate and clear a large area of land, totaling approximately 1.83 million square meters across nine provinces. Additionally, support and resettlement were provided to 167 households who had to relocate, and 5,248 households were affected… As a result, after nearly seven months of construction, the two circuits of the 500 KV power line, the 3rd circuit, were completed and put into operation on August 29th. Thus, the electricity industry has operated four circuits of 500 KV power transmission lines from the North to the South, with each line stretching over 1,500 km along the length of the country.

At the Ha Tinh location, Mr. Hoang Trung Dung, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, affirmed that the completion of the 500 KV power line, the 3rd circuit, marked a milestone in the country’s development. At the Nghe An location, Mr. Thai Thanh Quy – Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council – considered the inauguration of the 3rd circuit after seven months of construction as a “miracle” of the Vietnamese power sector, contributing to meeting the increasing energy demands for production and daily life.

Ensuring Energy Security

At the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his deep gratitude to the people of the localities for their support and cooperation, as they had to give up their homes, places of worship, agricultural land, and production and business activities for the project.

According to the Prime Minister, the operation of the 500 KV power line, the 3rd circuit from Quang Trach to Pho Noi, holds special importance in various aspects, including economics, politics, society, and security and defense. This project is strategically significant, ensuring national energy security and helping address local electricity shortages in the North (adding about 30 billion kWh of electricity per year). Additionally, it assures investors, especially foreign ones, of a stable power supply, which is crucial for high-tech industries. It demonstrates Vietnam’s commitment to keeping its word and turning its promises into tangible, measurable results. The project also connects the economy, promotes regional linkage, and enhances the efficiency of the national power transmission system through broad connectivity and synchronization.

The Prime Minister requested that EVN and the National Power Transmission Corporation coordinate with local authorities to effectively restore and clean up the environment and operate the 500 KV power line, the 3rd circuit, along with the entire national power system, safely and efficiently. He also emphasized the need to continue investing in power sources and the power grid to ensure sufficient and stable electricity supply for socio-economic development, actively contribute to ensuring social welfare and stabilizing people’s lives, and ensure transparency and prevent negative incidents like corruption and waste in the settlement and audit processes.