The pleasure of successfull energized and put into operation of the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line of the National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) was doubled when EVNNPT had the honor to welcome the Senator French delegation and representatives of the Agence Francaise de développement (AFD) visited the the 500kV Cau Bong substation which belong to the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line which co-financed by AFD and ADB.
In the visit to the 500kV Cau Bong, from the French delegation, there were the presence of Mr. Christian Cambon and Mr. Jean - Claude Peyronnet - Vice Chairman of the French Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; Mr. Jean - Claude Requiert - Senator ; Mrs. Dorothée Roy – Advisor of the External Relations Committee and Mr. Rémi GENEVEY , Director of AFD in Vietnam .
Welcoming the delegation at the 500kV Cau Bong substation, there were the representatives from the National Power Transmission Corporation include: Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong - Member of Management Board; Mr. Vu Tran Nguyen – Vice President; Mrs. Luong Lan Dung - Director of International Cooperation Department , along with the presence of Mr Le Dinh Quang - Deputy Director of the Central Power Project Management Board (CPPMB); Mr. Ly Ngoc Khanh - Deputy Director of the Southern Power Project Management Board (SPPMB). In addition, there are also representatives of unit which EVNNPT – the investor assigns to implement the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line is CPPMB ; the unit which implement the 500kV Cau Bong substation is SPPMB and the unit which operates the 500kV Cau Bong substation is Power Transmission Company 4.
In the joyfull and excited atmosphere, after the great event which took place at 4.50pm on May 05, 2014 successfull enerzied and put the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line into operation on time, Mr. Vu Tran Nguyen - EVNNPT Vice President shared and exchanged with the team the difficulties and obstacles as well as EVNNPT accomplishments achieved during project implementation.
Vice President Vu Tran Nguyen said the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line project was a double-circuit line of more than 437 km length with a huge total investment ( over VND 9,288 billion), required to be completed, commissioned and put into operation in early 2014 . In cases capital was unavailabe or delaying , the entire South would face with severe power shortage, which led to rotation power cut off. This would cause a great impact on production and life , impact negatively on socioeconomic growth of the South in particular and the country in general. EVNNPT’s concern on capital was partially settled with the support of the French Government in the form of financing EUR 75 million, through AFD for the material and equipment procurement of 3 packages includes : first and secondary equipment; steel tower; Insulators and fittings.
After 30 months of construction , devoted all its human and material resources, overcame many difficulties and obstacles, especially compensation and site clearance – the everlasting problems of all projects but it was many times difficult for this line because it was a large project with a total length of 437.514 km , passing through the territory of 01 cities and 05 provinces : Gia Lai , Dak Lak , Dak Nong , Binh Phuoc , Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh city. It stretched from the 500kV Pleiku substation to the 500kV Cau Bong substation, which included expansion of station areas in Pleiku and Cau Bong substations, installing equipment for one 500 kV feeder at each station. At the night of April 21, 2014, EVNNPT has successfully energized 2 of the 500kV feeders to the 500kV Cau Bong substation at the 500kV Pleiku substation. On April 28, 2014, whole equipment of the 2 feeders to the 500kV Cau Bong substation at the 500kV Pleiku substation were successfully energized, ready for energizing the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line . However, there are still a lot of difficulties. By the afternoon April 28, 2014, the final time to complete the work, prepare for the scheduled energizing , at some points of the construction site, there were still some people continuously claiming and hindering the construction process . CPPMB together with the construction companies and the local authorities applying many measures have definitively settled the remaining problems in land acquisition in accordance with the regulations. With high determination of EVNNPT, CPPMB along with the support of the Government, Vietnam Electricity, the effective assistance of local authorities, the efforts of the construction contractors as well as material providers, the close guidance of EVNNPT, the project has finished in time with a miracles exploit in conductor stringing in just within 02 months (February to April 2014).
The completion of project accordingly to schedule with quality and efficiency also had the coordination and enthusiastic support from the project staff of the AFD. The support that AFD has provided in recent years has brought certain effects for the development of the Vietnam power sector, including the National Power Transmission Corporation. Particularly with EVNNPT, AFD has been co-financed with ADB for the Northenr Power Transmission project - Loan 2128-VIE. The project has been successfully implemented and was evaluated as efficiency.
On behalf of the French delegation , Mr. Jean - Claude Peyronnet - Vice Chairman of the French Senate Foreign Relations Committee thanked Vice President Vu Tran Nguyen for providing useful information, helping the team to have a better understand the importance of the project for the economic development of Vietnam. The French government and himself personally were glad to contribute to the success of the project and more than delighted to learn that the project not completed in time , but also greatly reduce costs compared with initial estimated cost ( 03 material and equipment packages with a total value equivalent to approximately U.S. $ 63.85 million instead of U.S. $ 86.20 million ), while in France , the cost of the project was usually higher than the estimated cost. This showed the project implementation unit was deployed effectively and sincerely congratulated the success of EVNNPT , CPPMB and SPPMB. He also announced , AFD was a representative body, on behalf of the French government provided loans , technical assistance around the world on principle of introducing, transfering of technology , new energy solutions , environment, transport ... In which, energy is one sector that the French government was very interested in. He also stressed this was an area have many issues related to the environment and requested EVNNPT to pay more attention to settle.
Following Vice President Vu Tran Nguyen , Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong - Member of the management Board said, EVNNPT was delighted and honored to welcome the high -rangking delegation of France to visit the lately energized 500kV transmission line and the substation was still in implementing process. On behalf of EVNNPT, he expressed its gratefulness for the support of the French government , AFD not only for the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line but during the last 20 years for Vietnam in general and power sector in particular . On coming May 27, 2014 , Vietnam Electricity ( EVN ), EVNNPT will celebrate 20 years of energizing and operating the first 500 kV North-South transmission line. 20 years ago , the French government had supported EVN/EVNNPT to implement this project through the Electricity De France ( EDF ). Currently, EVNNPT still continues cooperating with EDF, RTE with the support of AFD . In the context of integration , minimizing environmental impact is one aspect that EVNNPT also kept in mind and looked forward to the help of the French government .
As a financing agency and directly monitored the 500kV Pleiku - My Phuoc - Cau Bong transmission line, Mr. Rémi GENEVEY - Director of AFD in Vietnam thanked to the close cooperation of EVNNPT in the past . He emphasized, with AFD , this is a typical project that had success in both: construction time ( 30 months ) and especially, record in disbursement (within 1 year ) while other projects implementing time usually lasted from 5-6 years . AFD has supported and cooperated with the power sector on many areas and was given high priority on transmission because AFD thought, the development of the transmission grid not only had economic sense but also had great sense in terms of environment. Transmission system development can transmit power to all regions through out the country , to the mountain areas, islands and remote areas and reduce the need to build more new power plants, contributing to minimize impacts on the environment, bringing better and healthier life for people.
Parting the delegation, once again, Vice President Nguyen sincerely thanked the valuable help that the French Government, AFD has been reserved for EVNNPT in the past and hope will continue to receive the extensive support from the French Government and AFD in the future.
End of the visit, the delegation also desired the cooperation between AFD and EVNNPT will be stronger and raise to a new level.
Some pictures of the French Senate delegation and the Director of the Agence Francaise de développement in Vietnam visited the 500kV Cau Bong substation
Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong – Member of the Management Board -EVNNPT spoke at the meeting.
Mr. Vu Tran Nguyen – Vice President - EVNNPT spoke at the meeting.
Mr. Vu Tran Nguyen – Vice President – EVNNP discussed with the French Senate Delegation at the Control Department of the 500kV Cau Bong substation.
Mr. Vu Tran Nguyen – Vice President – EVNNP, on behlf of EVNNPT received a medal awarded by the French Senate.
The Delegation visited and a took photo at the 500 kV Cau Bong substation.