HCMC – Nguyen Duc Ninh has been suspended from his position as the director of the National Load Dispatch Center at Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to facilitate an inspection of electricity supply in the country.

The decision was made on June 14 by EVN’s general director Tran Dinh Nhan. EVN is a state-owned corporation responsible for Vietnam’s power subsector and operates large-scale hydropower and coal-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 28,169 MW, contributing to 58% of the national power generation system. It manages the operation of the national power system through the National Load Dispatch Center.

On June 10, the Ministry of Industry and Trade initiated an inspection into EVN’s management and supply of electricity from January 2021 to June 2023 at the request of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The inspection covers various aspects, including electricity generation, fuel supply for power plants, power system operation, electricity transmission, and the utilization of renewable resources in electricity production.

Last week, EVN’s Council of Members assigned Nhan to take charge of providing the requested documents to the ministry’s inspection team.

Northern provinces have been experiencing frequent load shedding since early June, causing disruptions to daily life and manufacturing. Vietnam’s average daily electricity consumption reached around 820 million kWh in May, a 20% increase against April.

Hanoi’s power consumption accounted for 75.4 million kWh of the total, a month-on-month surge of 22.5%. The sweltering weather further elevated the average daily electricity use, reaching 85.6 million kWh on June 8.

Meanwhile, hydropower plants in the north have reduced their output due to record low water levels, while some thermal power stations are at risk of overheating as they have been operating at full capacity amid scorching weather.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that northern Vietnam may face a shortage of 30 to 50 million kWh of electricity, resulting in extended power outages in certain parts of the north throughout the day.