State groups pledge more power supplies in 2011

State groups pledge more power supplies in 2011 By Van Nam – The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – Two State utility companies Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) and Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Corp. (Vinacomin) have pledged to operate at least four power plants early next year to minimize power outage in the next dry season. Dang Hoang An, deputy general director of EVN, said on Monday that the country’s key power supplier is racing against the time to start commissioning the first turbine of Son La hydro-power plant in the middle of December. Work on key construction components of this mammoth power project is being accelerated, and water is being channeled into the reservoir to prepare for running the turbine. The first power turbine of Son La hydro-power plant on the Da River has a generating capacity of 400MW. The whole construction of the plant with total designed capacity of 2,400 MW will expectedly be completed by 2012, An said. Regarding power supply in the rest of the year, An said EVN has mobilized almost all power sources available to ensure the country’s power demand in the final two months of the year is met, with total supply of 270 million kWh each day. “EVN ensures to meet the power demand in the last two months of this year,” An said at an online meeting held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Monday. Meanwhile, Vu Manh Hung, deputy general director of Vinacomin, also told the meeting that the…