Bringing electricity to disadvantaged areas.

To date, many villages and hamlets in the western communes of Nghe An province still lack access to the national power grid. Recognizing this as crucial infrastructure and a foundation for the socio-economic development of the locality, the leaders of Nghe An province are urging relevant units to accelerate the progress of bringing electricity to these villages and hamlets.

Transporting machinery and equipment is very difficult due to the complex terrain.

"The 'many-nothing' version has the lights on."

After navigating numerous stretches of rapids littered with broken tree trunks and jagged rocks, Mr. Lo Van Nghia's small boat finally reached Cha Nga (My Ly commune). Located upstream of the Nam Non River, near the Vietnam-Laos border, this village is one of the most impoverished in Nghe An province. For a long time, Cha Nga has been known as the "village of many lacks": no electricity, no roads, and no telephone signal. The lack of basic infrastructure has hindered socio -economic development, making daily life and production very difficult for the people.

The village of Cha Nga currently has 92 households of the Thai ethnic minority who have been settled there for generations. Previously, many sections of the road to the village were accessible by motorbike; however, after the historic floods in July 2025, the only road into the village was washed away. The river is now the only option for traveling from Cha Nga to the outside world, or vice versa. Of course, it requires skilled and experienced boatmen. "It's very dangerous; we only dare to go during the day. Just a moment of carelessness and the boat will capsize. These past few days, the power company has been struggling to transport machinery and equipment across the rapids and waterfalls to get here," Mr. Nghia said.

Village head Luong Van Nhun of Cha Nga said that the lives of the people here are fraught with difficulties due to the lack of many things, especially electricity. Without electricity, most households have to use oil lamps and candles for lighting. Some families use intermittent electricity from homemade turbines placed in streams and ravines. However, the historic floods have swept away all of these turbines. Some houses have solar-powered lights, but on cloudy days, the light is insufficient for daily life. Having access to the national power grid is a long-awaited dream, so when the electricity sector mobilized its forces to bring electricity to the village, the people were very happy. Everyone joined forces with the electricity sector's officials and staff to carry heavy equipment weighing hundreds of kilograms across rocky terrain and over rivers to reach the village.

The biggest challenge in implementing the power project in the two villages of Cha Nga and Xop Duong (My Ly commune) was the transportation of materials and equipment. The roads to the villages, already difficult to navigate, were further damaged by floods and severe landslides. Not only engineers and workers, but also the entire leadership team of Nghe An Power Company were present in the villages from the very first day. Instructions and solutions were given right on the mountainside, by the stream, or during hurried meals.

Mr. Pham Cong Thanh, Director of Nghe An Power Company, shared: “Bringing electricity to the remote villages in western Nghe An is very challenging. In particular, crossing rapids and navigating upstream on the Nam Non River to deliver equipment to Xop Duong and Cha Nga villages is the most arduous task. The equipment is heavy, the terrain is complex, and at times it seemed impossible to carry out. Despite these difficulties, the team never faltered, striving to find solutions. With the enthusiastic support of the villagers and officers and soldiers of the Nghe An Provincial Military Command, the equipment transportation was successfully completed. Each time the boat carrying equipment safely crossed the rapids, we breathed a sigh of relief.”

On a cold winter afternoon, despite the border weather, members of the Nghe An Power Company's emergency response team diligently pulled wires and installed electricity meters, helping the villagers use electrical equipment. Mr. Luong Van Tuan, a villager, said that due to the difficult transportation, he had to cross the river to the commune center to buy some equipment, taking advantage of the time when Nghe An Power Company staff were present to help with the installation. Ms. Vi Thi Toi, a teacher who has been working at the Cha Nga village school (My Ly 2 Kindergarten) for many years, shared that teaching, learning, and caring for the children will be easier and more effective with electricity. She and the other teachers also feel more secure in their work in the village…

The forces supporting the electricity sector transported supplies and equipment into the village.

Eliminate the "no power, no signal" issue.

According to information from the Department of Industry and Trade, Nghe An currently has 21 villages and hamlets, including Mat Island, that have not yet been supplied with electricity. This includes 17 villages and hamlets in the communes of My Ly, Muong Long, Tri Le, Muong Quang, Muong Chong, Chieu Luu, Huu Kiem, and Mat Island, for which the Provincial People's Committee has reported to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to propose investment in electricity construction.

According to Ms. Le Thi Thu Huong, Head of the Energy Management Department of the Department of Industry and Trade, currently, the 17 villages and hamlets without electricity are included in the list of projects under Sub-component 1 of the Vietnam-EU Sustainable Energy Transition Program (SETP), which the Ministry of Industry and Trade has reported to the Prime Minister for approval. Upon receiving guidance from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Department of Industry and Trade will advise the Provincial People's Committee on implementation. Regarding the four villages and hamlets proposed for additional electricity supply – Group D1 (Na Nieng hamlet, Tri Le commune); Khe Nhan branch 2 hamlet (Chieu Luu commune); Khe Bo residential cluster (Muong Quang commune); and Huoi Doc cluster 2 hamlet (Huu Kiem commune) – the Provincial People's Committee has reported to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to propose investment in construction. On December 5, 2025, the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee sent a document to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Electricity Group regarding the proposed investment in electricity supply.

Due to the complex terrain of Cha Nga, Xop Duong, Nhot Lot, Pha Chieng villages (My Ly commune) and Huoi May village (Muong Quang commune), and the severely damaged roads, the installation of power poles could not be implemented. Therefore, while waiting for road construction, Nghe An Power Company implemented a plan to invest in a low-voltage system, lay wires, install meters, and use generator power. The unit mobilized manpower and equipment, overcoming the rugged terrain and complex weather conditions to carry out the construction. After many days of construction with the spirit of "overcoming the sun and rain," on December 13, 2025, the temporary power supply to these villages was completed, much to the joy and excitement of the people.

Earlier, concluding a meeting with leaders of 12 communes, including Muong Xen, Huu Kiem, Chieu Luu, Muong Tip, Na Ngoi, Huoi Tu, Muong Long, Nam Can, Bac Ly, My Ly, Na Loi, Keng Du, and local departments and agencies, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, Vo Trong Hai, expressed his concern that some areas still lack electricity and telecommunications coverage.

“Without electricity and internet access, how can we achieve digital transformation!” Mr. Hai emphasized. Given this urgent need, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province requested that the electricity sector overcome all difficulties and resolutely ensure electricity supply to all villages and hamlets. Previously, electricity extension projects, which were initially managed by the districts, need to be reviewed and potentially transferred to the electricity sector for implementation. Similarly, regarding telecommunications, the provincial leader assigned relevant departments and agencies the task of coordinating with network operators to eliminate 18 areas without coverage, ensuring seamless connectivity for residents, thus supporting digital transformation and socio-economic development.

According to Nhan Dan newspaper

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202601/keo-dien-luoi-ve-vung-kho-khan-9e1798a/