Generator breakdown cuts power supply on Con Dao island

Nguyen Van Giap, director of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau power company, said Thursday that two generators with a total capacity of 3,000 kW broke down late October and another one with a capacity of 800 kW suffered the same fate.

The loss of three generators caused a 4 MW drop in power production on the island, affecting businesses and production. However, residents, government offices and defense facilities remained unaffected, Giap said.

The generators should be fixed by next week, he added.

In the meantime, authorities have requested hotels to lower their capacity and run their own generators as much as possible.

Diesel generators with a total capacity at 12.3 MW are the main sources of power on the island. However, they are costly to run, resulting in losses of VND100 billion ($4 million) every year for the energy sector.

Power demand on Con Dao had been increasing 20-30% a year, forcing generators to run 17-18 hours a day.

Back in May, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Planning and Investment collected opinions from relevant authorities on a project to provide Con Dao with a power grid. The Vietnam Electricity has proposed the construction of a 110 kV power line spanning 100 km for the island, with a total cost at VND5 trillion.

If approved, the project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Con Dao District comprises 16 islands and is located about 185 km away from Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, which borders HCMC. The island has population around 10,000 people and is a popular destination for tourists.