The ceremony to inaugurate the smart electricity grid in Côn Đảo island, HCM City, on February 1. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The Côn Đảo special zone of HCM City has officially begun operating a smart electricity grid, marking a major step in modernising the island’s energy infrastructure and supporting its socio-economic development, national defence – security, and the quality of life of local residents.

The system was inaugurated on Sunday by the HCM City Power Corporation following the completion of a smart-grid construction project.

Launched on September 25, 2025, the project includes the commissioning of the 110kV Côn Đảo GIS transformer station operating under an unmanned model, the full automation of all 22kV medium-voltage power lines, and online monitoring of all 131 distribution transformer stations across the island. It also features the rollout of an island-wide outage management map and the integration of rooftop solar systems into the central control platforms of the city’s Power Corporation and its parent firm, the national power group Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

The smart grid is expected to significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of power supply, reduce transmission losses, and optimise grid management while providing households and businesses in Côn Đảo with more transparent, convenient and modern electricity services. It also lays a crucial foundation for gradually integrating renewable energy sources, helping develop the island into a smart, green and sustainable marine economic – ecological special zone.

On December 19 last year, Vietnam Electricity inaugurated a subsea power cable linking Côn Đảo to the national grid, the longest of its kind in Southeast Asia, ending the island’s long-standing reliance on diesel-generated electricity. — VNA/VNS