As many as 14 of the 18 series capacitor banks at the Da Nang - Ha Tinh, Phu Lam - Pleiku, and Nho Quan - Ha Tinh transmission lines have been upgraded and energized by GE’s Digital Energy business, a business subsidiary of General Electric.

The system of capacitor banks at the Vung Ang site, Ha Tinh province. (Photo: Thuy Chinh)

The upgrade marks the latest project milestone for the company, which has continuously been advancing Vietnam’s 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines - the “backbone” of Vietnam’s North-to-South power transmission - for four years.

“Increased energy demand is putting increased stress on the grid - both in Vietnam and globally. By collaborating with local companies and leveraging our history and expertise providing advanced series compensation systems to our customers, we’re able to relieve Vietnam’s grid stress and increase overall reliability, ensuring the well-being of the country’s economy and residents in the process,” said Bob Turko, General Manager of GE’s high-voltage solutions business on May 11th.

In 2011, electricity demand in Vietnam - largely driven by steel and cement industries - was growing at double the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) rate. With demand expected to escalate an additional 16 percent over the next four years, electricity shortages were virtually unavoidable. Understanding the implications to its economy and its 89 million citizens, the country created a long-term plan to address electricity shortage, centering on Vietnam’s 500-kV transmission lines.

To support necessary growth in the existing transmission system, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the National Power Transmission Corporation (NPT) needed 18 series capacitor banks throughout the country in a tight timeframe. Based on its proven expertise in the design and deployment of Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) within the region, GE’s Digital Energy business was chosen by EVN and NPT to install and upgrade these capacitor banks.

Key to GE’s success is its focus on localization. To better understand Vietnam’s electricity issues, GE works closely with a local partner. The company has also hired local Vietnamese engineers and provides regional job opportunities to assist with technical support.

GE shares a long history energizing Vietnam. It installed the first GE series capacitor banks in the 1990s. GE’s Energy Consulting arm, along with the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) and Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), also recently completed a year-long “renewable energy integration study” aimed at developing wind power as a reliable energy source into the national grid, a project funded by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) under the grant agreement between the US Government and the ERAV./.

VNF/CPV