Workers inspect the 500kV electricity transfromer in HCM City. The HCM City Electricity Corporation has promised to ensure adequate power supply and fewer power cuts during the dry season.— VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Ha

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — The HCM City Electricity Corporation has promised to ensure an adequate power supply and fewer power cuts during the dry season.

"We have mobilised all power supply resources to ensure production and demand for the dry season," Pham Quoc Bao, deputy general director of the Corporation, was quoted as saying in the Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper.

Bao said the maximum capacity for HCM City in the dry season was 3,285MW. Since late March, the weather has been very hot and electricity usage has increased to 3,272 MW, but the corporation has already prepared for 3,600MW of capacity.

"With current electricity consumption and electricity backup capability, electricity supply will be ensured," he said.

Pham Ngoc Minh, director of HCM City Electricity Corporation's Electricity Distribution and Adjustment Centre, said that since early April, electricity output had increased from 56 million kWh/day to 61 million kWh/day.

It is expected to go up to 68 million kWh/day on peak days compared with 64 million kWh/day last year during the dry season.

The National Electricity Distribution and Adjustment Centre has also pledged that power supply will be sufficient during the season.

Since early this year, the number of electricity outages has fallen dramatically as the city administration completed electricity grid maintenance in advance.

More new power transformer stations and high-voltage grids have increased the capacity of the electricity grid, up to 40 per cent of back-up capability.

"A series of new high-voltage grids, Cu Chi – Cau Bong, Nha Be – Viet Thanh, Hiep Binh Phuoc – Hoa Xa and Ba Queo – Cho Lon, began operating, along with power transformer stations, 220kV Cu Chi, 110kV Lang Cat, 110kV Ba Diem and others," Bui Hai Thanh, director of High-Voltage Grid company, said.

To prepare for the dry season, the Gia Dinh Electricity company added 60 transformer stations and completed 70km of a low-voltage grid to meet increased power demand in the two districts of Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh.

The electricity sector has also asked all electricity companies to reduce the amount of time for power cuts to complete maintenance tasks.

For a three-year medium-voltage system, the electricity officials will allow one time a year to repair anything that is broken.

For other voltage systems, repairs can be made every four to six months. All repairs are supposed to be made within five hours. — VNS