Additional hundreds of thousands of remote residents have access to national grid

Illustrative photo (Source: thoibaonganhang.vn)

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, it has proposed to provide the national grid or alternative energy sources to different islands in the next 5 years.

So far, the program has successfully connected over 17 million residents in rural, mountainous and island areas with the national grid, bringing the rate of rural residents having access to the power to 99.26% as of late 2019, said Dang Hoang An, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.

Mr. Vo Quang Lam, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Electricity (EVN), said that as of 2020, EVN provided and managed electricity sales to 11 of 12 island districts and 82 of 85 island communes, with a total capital of more than VND7.9 trillion. Annually, EVN compensated for losses of about VND200 billion. “The supply of electricity to mountainous and island regions faces many difficulties in terms of geographical distance, longevity of equipment and maintenance,” he said, adding that with poor business efficiency, it is difficult to mobilize socialized capital.

Regarding the mobilization of resources, Mr. Bui Quoc Hung, Deputy Director of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the 2021-2025 period targets to give electricity supply to most farming households; however, there remains a shortage of about VND26 trillion in investment capital./.

Comment

Other Stories