Phu Quoc power outage: Hotels lose tens of millions every day

The incident on the 110 kV Ha Tien - Phu Quoc submarine cable since November 29 has caused widespread power outages, seriously affecting tourism business activities during the peak season on the pearl island. Many businesses are facing heavy financial losses as they have to continuously operate generators and deal with customers canceling their rooms.

The affected areas include Duong Dong, Cua Can, Cua Duong, Ham Ninh and the entire northern part of the island. An Giang Electricity Company has isolated the cable line for inspection, but the repair time is expected to be long, depending on the extent of the damage.

Heavy damage to the tourism industry

Owners of accommodation establishments in Phu Quoc are facing skyrocketing operating costs. Mr. Le Hong Son, owner of the Golden Coast Resort in Ganh Dau, said his establishment spends about 20 million VND per day for 1,000 liters of diesel to run the generator. He fears that this number will continue to increase if the problem is not resolved soon.

The situation is even more serious as this is the "golden" time for Phu Quoc tourism with the number of international visitors, especially from Europe and the US, at a high level. According to Mr. Son, although the room occupancy rate is at its highest, the power outage has caused about 40% of guests who booked in advance for the week to request cancellations and move to the South of the island or other localities.

A resort with more than 1,000 rooms in the north of the island. Photo: Agoda

"We can bear the fuel costs, but the cancellation of tours and negative reviews about service experiences are long-term damage to the local tourism brand," Mr. Son shared.

For large-scale resorts, the damage is measured in billions. Ms. Le Thi Hai Chau, manager of a chain of 5-star resorts in the North Island, revealed that a 300-room facility usually spends 1.5 billion VND on grid electricity each month. When switching to generators, this cost doubles, up to 2.8 - 3 billion VND. In just the first three days of the incident, a resort in her system had to spend 200 million VND on fuel.

Response efforts and challenges

This incident happened suddenly and lasted for a long time, unlike previous local power outages, leaving businesses unable to react. Most facilities had to run generators almost 24/24, but the capacity usually only met 70-80% of demand.

In response, resorts have activated emergency energy-saving procedures: reducing public lighting, setting air conditioning to 24-25 degrees Celsius, and turning off non-essential equipment. Some have had to implement rotating power cuts in areas with no guests.

Resort in Duong Dong ward lost power while generator was only enough to supply electricity to the reception area and restaurant. Photo: Hoang Linh

Small and medium-sized businesses are also facing difficulties. Ms. Hoang Linh, owner of a resort in Duong Dong ward, said that her facility's generator broke down due to overload. She had to rent an external generator, which was only enough to power the reception and restaurant, while guests had to use rechargeable lamps. She has refunded 100% of the money to guests who wanted to leave and waived service fees for those who stayed to maintain her reputation.

Mr. Ha Tuan Minh, Director of Winner Phu Quoc International Travel Company, said the unstable voltage problem also damaged many expensive electronic devices in the hotel.

Cause of the problem and future solutions

According to the Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC), the incident on the 110 kV underground cable line Ha Tien - Phu Quoc was determined to be complicated, causing difficulties in repair. Representatives of the electricity industry said that they had mobilized maximum human resources and equipment, and at the same time regulated the load to prioritize important areas.

Many businesses have proposed that there should be a suitable compensation or support mechanism. In the long term, some investors are considering installing rooftop solar power systems to partially self-sufficient in electricity sources and minimize future risks.

Mr. Tuan Minh emphasized that small hotels and homestays are the most affected because they cannot bear the cost of generators. Loss of revenue during the peak season can cost them the whole year. "The damage is certain, but who can we complain to for compensation?" Mr. Minh wondered.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/phu-quoc-mat-dien-khach-san-ton-hang-chuc-trieu-moi-ngay-406883.html