Hanoi (VNA) - Nationalpower utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) said increased production anddecreased transmission loss will allow it to meet power needs during thisyear’s dry season.

The utility announced on itswebsite a first half production of 94.9 billion kW, a year-on-year increase of7.23 percent.

Commercial electricity productionincreased 8.47 percent year-on-year to 82.9 billion kW, with domestic supplyincreasing by 8.78 percent over last year. The most productive day on June 2saw a record 628.4 million kW generated at the maximum transmission capacity of30,206 megawatts.

EVN affirmed that the companywould supply sufficient electricity to meet demand across all regions and purposes.It also promised to generate enough to meet increased consumption in the 2017dry season which saw a prolonged heat wave in the Northern and CentralHighlands at the beginning of June.

The general trend is southwardtransmission, EVN noted, with electricity transmitted from the north to theCentral Highlands and southern regions.

The highest recorded electricitytransmission capacity on the 500 kilovolt southward line was 3,600 megawatts.On average, total transmitted amount was 79.95 billion kilowatts, an increaseof 4.7 percent over 2016.

For the second half of 2017, EVNhas set a production goal of 102.1 billion kW, in which commercial outputincluding exports to Laos and Cambodia would reach 92.1 kW.

For 2010 to 2015, EVN spent 492trillion VND (21.8 billion USD) on 34 power generators and many other projectsthat laid a total 13,100 kilometres of power lines.

The company expects power demandto increase 10 percent on a yearly basis, and plans to invest 710.6 trillionVND (31.3 billion USD) during the 2016-20 period.

Its official financial report forthe year 2016 showed that total outstanding public debt was approximately 487trillion VND (21.5 billion USD), up 7.1 percent over 2015.

The funds were borrowed to investin numerous power plants in order to meet national demand, it said.

EVN’s Deputy Director General DinhQuang Tri commented earlier this year that the company relied mainly on twofinancial sources, revenue power prices and “capital arrangements”.

Tri also said that each year, EVNwould need between 5-6 billion USD, and with little support from theGovernment, the utility had been working with the World Bank on ways to raisefunds.

He said the company hoped toraise enough funds next year from various sources including the issuance ofinternational bonds.

EVN also reported an improvementin its power loss index at 7.25 percent for the past six months, 0.22 percentlower than the set target. It attributed this achievement to a concerted effortby the company’s numerous technology and operation departments, in order tominimise blackouts and risks within the national power grid.

In the first two quarters of2017, EVN focused on enhancing customer service and improving the electricity accessibilityindex.

Since May 15, technical andadministrative procedures have been minimised and all customers duly informed.

The company has also signed anagreement with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) for thelatter to perform regular surveys on and assessments of service quality.

Reliability indexes for EVN haveincreased significantly from last year. For the first six months of 2017, theSystem Average Interruption Duration Index reduced by 47 percent, the MomentaryAverage Interruption Frequency Index by 40.2 percent and the SystemAverage Interruption Frequency Index by 47.6 percent.

EVN has worked closely with theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its WaterResources Department, as well as other operational agencies on managinghydroelectric reservoirs to supply water for irrigation purposes.

There are still three releasesleft for the spring summer crop in the Red River Delta this year.-VNA