Inauguration of the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line

Overcoming the sun and rain to reach the finish line 8 months early

This is a project to welcome the success of the first Government Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, towards the 14th National Party Congress.

Previously, the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line project was also successfully energized on September 30, 2025, completed 8 months ahead of schedule compared to the original plan according to the project investment policy decision approved by the Prime Minister.

Delegates attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the project.

The 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line project is a national key project, with the scale of the project being a 500 kV double-circuit transmission line with a total length of 229.5 km, with a total of 468 pole foundation locations.

The project passes through 02 provinces including Lao Cai and Phu Tho (formerly 04 provinces including Lao Cai, Yen Bai , Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc), with the starting point being Lao Cai 500 kV station, the ending point being Vinh Yen 500 kV station.

The total investment of the Project is more than 7,410 billion VND, arranged from 80% loan capital from the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and 20% counterpart capital from EVN.

Lao Cai - Vinh Yen 500 kV Transmission Line Project:
Investor: Vietnam Electricity Group;
Representative of the investor managing and operating the project: Power Project Management Board 1;
Total investment: More than 7,410 billion VND;
Project area passes through: Lao Cai, Phu Tho;
Construction start date: March 16, 2025;
Power on: September 30, 2025.

To ensure synchronous and effective operation, the Lao Cai 500 kV Transformer Station project phase 2 with a total investment of more than VND 1,564 billion has also been completed with construction items and energization of the 500 kV distribution yard and 500 kV transformer to synchronize with the Lao Cai - Vinh Yen 500 kV transmission line project.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, General Director of EVN, said that, implementing the Prime Minister's direction, EVN/Power Project Management Board 1 has focused all resources, implemented many tasks in parallel and synchronously, creatively and flexibly applied valuable lessons pointed out by the Prime Minister after the successful implementation of the 500 kV line circuit 3 Quang Trach - Pho Noi.

During the past 6 months of construction, the project has faced many difficulties and challenges from harsh weather conditions, rugged mountainous terrain, complex geology, large volume of site clearance to urgent progress requirements, but with implementation experience, high determination and outstanding efforts of EVN/EVNNPMB1 and consulting units, construction contractors, material and equipment suppliers; the project has always been implemented urgently, synchronously and effectively.

EVN Deputy General Director Pham Hong Phuong reports on the construction process.

With the spirit of determination and utmost effort, organizing the construction of "4 on-site", "3 shifts, 4 teams", "overcoming the sun, overcoming the rain", "through holidays, Tet, and days off", after more than 6 months of construction, the project has completed the main construction volume including: digging nearly 1.8 million m3 of soil and rock in the foundation pit; pouring nearly 110,000 m3 of concrete with about 7,500 tons of steel reinforcement; manufacturing and assembling 55,000 tons of steel poles; pulling and laying more than 6,000 km of cables of all kinds (26 conductors, lightning protection wires and optical cables).

On behalf of the contractors participating in the project, the representative of Power Construction Company No. 4 said that during the construction process, the project encountered many difficulties in terms of human resources and construction machinery and equipment, which sometimes did not meet the progress requirements due to the simultaneous implementation of the entire project route with a very large amount of work and extremely urgent time.

In addition, the weather in the Northern mountainous region from mid-June 2025 was directly affected by rain and floods, especially 7 storms including No. 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, leading to widespread flooding, having to stop construction for many days, many unfinished foundation positions were completely leveled and had to be dug again from the beginning.

As a result, the 500kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line project was completed in just over 6 months from the commencement date, nearly 8 months ahead of the approved schedule in the investment policy.

The construction terrain of the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen line mostly goes through rugged forest and rocky terrain, with some locations having to open nearly 4-5 km of forest roads from the foot of the mountain to nearly 1,000 meters above sea level. There are locations where each pole must be manually transported to erect the pole, and there are locations where workers have to walk more than 2 hours to reach the construction site. Workers have to set up tents and sheds right at the location to eat and sleep on the spot every month, taking turns to ensure construction progress.

Increase system reliability

After being put into operation, the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen line will be able to transmit about 3,000 MW from hydropower plants in the Northwest region and neighboring provinces to the national grid and increase the ability to import electricity. At the same time, it will create a strong connection between regions in the power system; improve the ability to operate safely and stably for the national power system; reduce power loss in the transmission grid; and increase the efficiency of EVN's electricity production and business.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc emphasized that this is a project of special importance in ensuring national energy security, contributing to concretizing the direction of the Politburo in Resolution No. 70 on ensuring national energy security and the Government's commitment to always strive to ensure continuous electricity supply, not to let power shortages occur in any situation, creating a solid foundation to promote growth of over 8% in 2025 and double-digit growth in the coming years.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc spoke at the inauguration ceremony.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam's socio-economic growth target during this period requires the electricity sector to focus on development, increasing annual power generation capacity by about 15-18% (equivalent to 8,000-10,000 MW) to ensure electricity supply for economic development and attract domestic and foreign investment.

“The project has a record-breaking construction progress, a proud achievement, reflecting the more than 70-year heroic revolutionary tradition of the electricity industry. The rapid construction and completion of the project ahead of schedule in an area with particularly difficult and complicated terrain and geology, construction in unusual weather conditions, large construction volume, complex techniques, requiring precision and synchronization have demonstrated the determination, maturity and remarkable growth of the electricity industry; as well as the efforts of localities in site clearance and ensuring construction conditions for this project,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

EVN General Director Nguyen Anh Tuan presented gifts to support two localities where the project passes through.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested EVN, after this inauguration ceremony, to coordinate with the localities to do a good job of restoring and cleaning the environment; organize the safe operation of the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen project and the entire national power system, achieving the highest efficiency.

In addition, EVN needs to continue investing in developing power sources and grid systems, ensuring adequate and stable supply of electricity for socio-economic development; actively participating in ensuring social security, stabilizing people's lives; and implementing project settlement in accordance with regulations.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/khanh-thanh-duong-day-500-kv-lao-cai---vinh-yen-d414687.html