Workers install the 220/500kV transmission line for Truang Nam - Thuan Nam solar complex in Ninh Thuận Province. - Photo courtesy of Trung Nam Group

 NINH THUẬN — Trung Nam Group inaugurated a 450 MW Trung Nam-Thuận Nam solar power farm project, a 500kV transformer station and 220/500kV transmission line in Ninh Thuận Province yesterday.

The VNĐ12 trillion (US$518 million) project spans more than 557 ha in Phước Minh Commune, Thuận Nam District including more than 17km of transmission lines of 500kV, 220kV stretching from Ninh Thuận to Bình Thuận Province.

Lưu Xuân Vĩnh, Chairman of the Ninh Thuận Province People's Committee, said: “This is considered a historic milestone in Việt Nam’s energy industry when private enterprises invested in energy transmission infrastructure."

“As the first-ever private enterprise so far allowed to invest in national grid transmission infrastructure, Vĩnh said the project was reflecting how the Politburo’s Resolution No 55-NQ/TW on Việt Nam’s strategic orientations for national energy development through 2030 has encouraged private enterprises to invest in building renewable energy infrastructure.

"The project has contributed to making Ninh Thuận a national renewable energy centre,” Vĩnh added.

Vĩnh said it would also make an important contribution to easing the rate of unused plants that wasted thousands of billions of đồng each year and improve the business environment in the province.

In Việt Nam, though there is a risk of electricity shortage but many experts told the media because the infrastructure including electric lines and transformer stations is not synchronised, lots of renewal projects failed to generate their full capacity on the national electricity grid.

The plant started operating on September 29 and is expected to produce 1.2 billion kWh of electricity in the first year and more than 1 billion kWh from renewable sources every year.

Nguyễn Tâm Tiến, general director of the Trung Nam Group, said though the project requires complicated implementation in the COVID-19 pandemic, the group with high determination completed in 102 days from the middle of May with the hard work of 8,000 officials, engineers and workers.

Tiến said the project will contribute important capacity for regional power grids in Ninh Thuận and the south-central coast.

Two transformer stations of the project, with a total capacity of 1.800MVA and lines designed to improve connectivity, will increase system reliability in the regional power grid.

Trung Nam Group is also the executing unit of Cà Ná general seaport project with the capacity of 70,000 - 100,000 DWT per year in Ninh Thuận. Once finished by December 2022, the seaport will make an important contribution to supporting the transportation of equipment, especially super-heavy equipment for renewable energy projects and gas power projects in the field in the province, as a hub of renewable plants in Việt Nam. — VNS