Shocked when Phu Quoc island lost power

All activities in Phu Quoc (An Giang) have been disrupted due to an underground cable break that has caused widespread power outages in recent days, seriously affecting business, daily life, and the lives of residents and tourists.

An Giang Electricity Company's staff and technicians urgently checked and fixed the power outage in Phu Quoc - Photo: Provided by An Giang Electricity Company

This is a warning bell, there must be a fundamental solution for the pearl island.

Phu Quoc, from a pristine island, is now a special economic zone worthy of the title of pearl island, with a strong transformation in urban infrastructure, transportation, energy, and telecommunications, including the 110kV Ha Tien - Phu Quoc underground cable line, about 57km long.

In 2022, the 220kV Kien Binh - Phu Quoc line will continue to operate. Therefore, the incident of the Ha Tien - Phu Quoc underground cable breaking, causing a power shortage, shows the weaknesses of the essential technical infrastructure for the pearl island.

Electricity is the "oxygen" that sustains activities on the island, but depending on one of two single power supply lines has left Phu Quoc "out of breath".

The first and most obvious impact is that tens of thousands of households have to live without electricity and lack of water.

Although the electricity industry has mobilized backup generators, prioritizing power supply for hospitals, water supply systems, and telecommunications, many tourist facilities have to run generators continuously, increasing costs 3-4 times.

The incident in Phu Quoc is not unique. Other tourist islands in the world have experienced similar incidents.

In 2009, Zanzibar Island (Tanzania) lost power for 27 days due to a broken underground cable, disrupting life on the island.

The government has invested in a new cable with larger capacity and built a backup power plant, making Zanzibar a model island "recovering from crisis" with new risk management thinking.

Or in Hawaii, Hurricane Iniki in 1992 caused widespread blackouts on the island of Kauai. Hawaii moved toward a distributed grid, promoted renewable energy, and required that tourist facilities be able to operate for at least 72 hours on backup power.

It is this thorough preparation that makes Kauai one of the most disaster-resistant islands in the US...

These stories show that no island is immune to incidents, so good risk management and crisis management are essential. This requires transparency in information about incidents, recovery plans and expected completion dates.

When a risk occurs, silence or delays in communication can cause more psychological damage than economic damage. People need to be informed, businesses need to be prepared and tourists need to be reassured.

Phu Quoc is an international tourist city and cannot rely on just one or two cable lines. It is necessary to develop renewable energy and a decentralized power grid model that is self-sufficient. Sun and wind in Phu Quoc are not only tourism resources but can also be an energy "shield".

The pearl island is also in dire need of an infrastructure security coordination center like the large tourist islands in Japan or South Korea are applying.

This center monitors electricity, water, telecommunications, environment, and traffic in real time, forecasts risks, and coordinates forces when incidents occur. It is the "brain" that helps the island operate safely in the context of climate change and increasingly unpredictable natural disaster risks.

This submarine cable break left a "wound", reminding us that Phu Quoc is developing very quickly in terms of infrastructure but is still fragile in the face of infrastructure incidents similar to the recent submarine cable break.

TRAN HUU HIEP

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giat-minh-khi-dao-ngoc-phu-quoc-mat-dien-20251203084912646.htm