Promoting the development of the "non-polluting industry" (tourism, tourism, and healthcare).
After decades of living with an unstable and expensive electricity supply, residents and businesses in Con Dao are overjoyed to receive electricity from the mainland. No more rolling power outages, noise, or pollution from diesel generators; life in the entire special zone has truly turned a new page.
Mr. Cao Vu Linh (46 years old) moved to Con Dao with his family when he was 4 years old. His family runs a coconut fiber milling business to make fertilizer for plants. However, due to unreliable electricity supply, product output was significantly affected, and the scale of their operation could only be maintained at a minimal level. Now that they have access to the power grid, his family has the means to fulfill their long-held dream: “We will increase production capacity to supply raw materials for fertilizer to the people on the island. In addition, we also intend to buy more household appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators… to improve our quality of life.”
Not only are the local people excited, but businesses in Con Dao are also eager to implement new development strategies with favorable conditions regarding electricity supply.
The Marina Bay Hotel, with 80 rooms, has an average monthly electricity cost of approximately 40 million VND. Due to the previously unstable power supply in Con Dao, electrical equipment was prone to damage. Although a backup generator was available, its operating time was limited and it consumed a high amount of fuel, around 50 liters of diesel per hour. There were even times when the hotel had to run the generator continuously for several months at a time.
"A stable power supply will help us reduce operating costs while improving service quality. In particular, the hotel will no longer have to worry about the use of electrical equipment," said Ms. Huynh Tuyet Nhung, the hotel manager.
With the example of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, the calculations and hopes of the people and businesses in Con Dao are even more well-founded. Since the memorable milestone of "electricity reaching the island" in February 2014, over the past 11 years, Phu Quoc has undergone a strong transformation. The "non-polluting industry" here has developed spectacularly, helping Phu Quoc consistently rank among the world's most prestigious tourist destinations. It can be said that the 110kV undersea cable project connecting Ha Tien and Phu Quoc has transformed the lives of the people and businesses in Phu Quoc by providing a safe and stable power supply. In particular, it has generated an additional income of over 200 billion VND per year due to a significant reduction in electricity prices, from an average of 5,060 VND/kWh to nearly 50% of the average price on the mainland.
The government's orientation for the future development of the Con Dao Special Economic Zone is to build Con Dao into a special zone for national defense and security, and to develop the marine economy with a focus on spiritual tourism and ecotourism.
These directions are also the aspirations of the government and people of this special administrative region for a long time. Connecting to the national power grid also means that the most essential technical infrastructure has truly "taken a step ahead." It can be said that this is the foundation for the entire transformation in all aspects and fields, enabling Con Dao to confidently rise up and embrace the wave of integration and development in the very near future.
Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao Special Economic Zone, said: "Using the national power grid will boost investment and development of service industries; electricity prices will be lower than they are now, and most importantly, the power supply will be stable, especially during peak tourist season."
Demonstrating the capability to construct the most complex power transmission projects.
Despite having previously completed numerous projects to bring electricity to coastal and island areas, when implementing the project to supply electricity from the national grid to Con Dao, the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and its contractors continued to face many major challenges and difficulties, especially due to objective conditions such as unfavorable weather and tight deadlines.
This project is considered the most complex of EVN's island and coastal power supply projects to date, with a total construction time of less than 9 months. To meet the deadline, the project had to be divided into many small packages and simultaneously constructed along the entire route for all 5 types of construction, including: overhead power lines on land; overhead power lines at sea; submarine cables; submarine cables on islands; and GIS substations on islands.
Moving out to sea to erect poles, lay cables, and especially transporting materials, tools, and equipment for construction, takes a lot of time and effort. For example, because construction is at sea, it must follow the tides: Engineers and workers have to prepare from 4:30 every morning to board ships and move to the site, only returning to shore after 7 PM. Due to the poles being located at sea, without barges or large ships, it is impossible to stay overnight.
Weather conditions significantly impacted the project's progress, exhibiting complex and extreme patterns: early storms, intense heatwaves, and unusually heavy rainfall. Statistics from the Power Project Management Board 3 show that approximately one-third of the construction time in some packages was interrupted by strong winds and high waves. To overcome these difficulties, the Power Project Management Board 3 and the contractors implemented a series of solutions, including taking advantage of favorable weather conditions during the day, working in shifts of 3 or 4 teams 24/7, and pre-assembling steel pylons for each stage, which would then be installed offshore when weather permits.
The challenges of this "mega-project" are not limited to just that. According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Dung, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board (Power Project Management Board 3), the project to bring the national power grid to Con Dao marks the first time that domestic consulting units have completely undertaken the survey, design, and main supervision consulting work for the longest undersea cable project in Southeast Asia. It is also the first time a Vietnamese contractor has been able to excavate trenches and lay 110kV undersea cables offshore. This achievement is a major step forward, because previously, the capacity of domestic contractors only allowed them to construct projects with voltage levels of 22/35kV in nearshore areas.
Previous submarine cable projects in Vietnam, especially the cable laying phase, were carried out by foreign contractors. Today, Vietnamese contractors, notably PC1 Group Joint Stock Company, have mastered the technology and are undertaking a project using this completely new technology for the first time, demonstrating the technical expertise of domestic enterprises.
With a length of 77.7km, the project to bring electricity to Con Dao officially "owns" the longest undersea cable in Southeast Asia with the greatest cable burial depth in Vietnam (52m below sea level), and is also the first time the contractor has used 61m long concrete pile foundations for an offshore power project.
The project to bring the national power grid to Con Dao Island not only affirms the ability of EVN and domestic enterprises to overcome difficulties and master technology, but also represents an important step in realizing Resolution No. 36-NQ/TƯ on the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Vietnam's Marine Economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045. This is clear evidence of the Party's overarching goal: to make Vietnam a strong maritime nation, to prosper from the sea, and to firmly ensure national sovereignty and sovereign rights over the sea and islands.
With essential technical infrastructure already completed, the government, people, and businesses in Con Dao are facing a great opportunity to work together to create a new image for the special economic zone. The national power grid will further boost socio-economic development, especially the "non-polluting industry," transforming Con Dao into an international-class eco-tourism and spiritual destination. This is not just an achievement of a single project, but also a source of shared pride, making a significant contribution to the country's industrialization and modernization.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/co-dien-luoi-con-dao-se-vuon-minh-728049.html
Comment (0)