Despite
the rains coming sooner than previous years, many hydropower plants are still
suffering a serious shortage of water, with the water level of reservoirs
dropping dangerously low.

The water level of the reservoir remained unchanged due to
the low rainfall in the riverhead of the Mo waterfall, said Nguyen Cong Thang,
director of the Thac Mo Hydropower Plant, adding the water level was still at
alarmed rate.

Thang told Dau Tu Tai Chinh Newspaper that the daily output
amounted 450,000 – 500,000 kilowatt per hour (kWh) only, equal to a half of the
average amount in the same period of previous years.

The Gia Lai Province Power Company estimated seven out of 19
local hydropower plants had to be temporarily shut down due to a shortage of
water.

Yaly Hydropower Plant – one of the biggest hydropower in the
mountainous province
of Tay Nguyen – cannot
run in its full operational capability as its reservoir’s water level was at
500 meters only, which is 17 meters lower than the common level and only 9
meters higher than the alarmed level.

The plant generated 1.7-1.8 billion kWh in the last six
moths last year, but it estimated the output would reduce nearly by half in the
same period this year.

Director Ta Van Luan of the plant said the water level was 9
meters higher than the alarmed level only because the plant reduced its
operation.

Nguyen Van Thinh, general director of the Southern
Hydropower JSC, said two plants of the firm – Da Dang and Dasiat in the
highland province
of Lam Dong – are also
reducing their operation due to a similar problem.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting
expected the rainfall will remain low until next month, with the water level of
reservoirs over 10-15 percent lower year-on-year.

Pham Minh Luong, director of the Southern Load Dispatch
Center, said the state utility Electricity of Vietnam instructed the center to
keep close eyes on the water level of reservoirs in order to have measures on
time to ensure the national power security.

Many hydropower plants have had to reduce operations due to
dangerously low water levels, worsening the electricity shortage problem in the
country.

Power plant operators said reservoirs are drying up around
the country, especially in the Central
Highlands and southern
provinces.

In February, total water flow into Vietnam’s
reservoirs fell by 189 million cubic meters from a year ago. Major power plants
including Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang and Tri An reported that their water levels are
now only four to 10 meters above the dead level.

Vietnam
depends on hydropower plants for up to 40 percent of its electricity demand.
State utility Electricity of Vietnam said it will try to ease the power
shortage problem by importing more electricity from China.

The utility purchased 956 million kilowatt-hours from China
in the first two months, up 28.89 percent from the same period last year.

Source: SGGP