Vietnam Electricity: 68 years of “Enlightening Trust”

In the past 68 years, Vietnam's electricity sector has ensured the provision of electricity for the country's socio-economic development and the people's daily lives, contributing to maintaining a high and continuous economic growth rate. Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has also applied scientific and technological advancements, adopting advanced management approaches to elevate the development of Vietnam Electricity in corporate governance and customer service.

68 years ago, on December 21, 1954, after assuming control of the capital, our beloved Uncle Ho visited the Bo Ho Light Factory. He advised, "This factory now belongs to the people, the government, and all of you. As the owners, you must take care of the factory and make it further develop." Since then, December 21st has become the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Electricity Industry.

The commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Electricity sector is an occasion for the sector's employees to reflect on Uncle Ho's advice, review the milestones in the sector's development history, and express gratitude and appreciation for the previous generations of officials, the veteran officers who devoted their passion, strength, and even their blood for the strong development of the electricity sector today. The heroic tradition of safeguarding the country's power supply and the creativity in the sector's productive labor has forged a solid political will and resilience in the face of all difficulties and challenges in both wartime and peacetime.

Over the past 68 years, the Vietnam Electricity sector has always been a crucial and indispensable factor in the struggle for national independence, closely associated with the revolutionary movement from the pre-uprising days to the decades of war devastation before entering the period of construction, protection, and development of the country. During the resistance against French colonialism and the American empire, with slogans such as "The nation needs electricity like the body needs blood" and "The heart of an electrician may stop beating, but the electricity cannot be shut off," the officials and workers of the Vietnam Electricity sector overcame all hardships and adversities, united as one, and were ready to sacrifice to protect the power supply for the revolution and the people.

The electricians have turned power plants into fortresses, fighting with conventional weapons and a spirit of sacrifice. Amidst falling bombs, exploding bullets, and the thunderous roar of American planes, the electricity sector's employees remained calm, resilient, and courageous, steadfastly maintaining the power supply for the nation. Many electricity workers and soldiers fell on the battlefield, within machinery, and alongside transformer stations. Many electrical workers were injured but refused to leave their posts. In the rubble after each bombing raid by American planes, the bomb disposal teams bravely went about their work, handling unexploded bombs and ensuring the safety of power plants.

Continuing this tradition and the revolutionary spirit of determination, over the past 68 years, generations of employees in the Vietnamese electricity sector have achieved remarkable accomplishments. Since 1954, when electricity was only supplied to limited urban centers and industrial zones, the power system in Vietnam has made significant progress. The scale of Vietnam's power generation system ranks first in Southeast Asia and 22nd in the world. The power grid has expanded throughout the country, ensuring electricity supply to 100% of communes and wards, and the majority of households nationwide are connected to the national grid.

Vietnam Electricity has constructed numerous large-scale international and regional power projects for years. These include the 500kV Northern-Southern high-voltage transmission line, which now consists of multiple circuits, and the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant and Son La Hydropower Plant, the largest hydropower projects in Southeast Asia. These projects highlight unity, internal strength, self-reliance, innovation in technical improvement, rationalization of production, and the mobilization and maximization of domestic resources. They also showcase Vietnamese engineers' and personnel's mastery of scientific and technological advancements. Most recently, at the end of 2022, EVN completed and put into operation the entire 500kV circuit 3 transmission line from Vung Ang to Quang Trach, Doc Soi, and Pleiku 2, as well as the longest sea-crossing 220kV transmission line in Southeast Asia, connecting Kien Binh to Phu Quoc Island.

With relentless efforts and continuous endeavors, EVN has ensured an adequate power supply to meet the people's socio-economic development needs and daily lives, contributing to our country's sustained high economic growth. EVN has also applied scientific and technological advancements and adopted advanced management approaches to propel Vietnam Electricity's scale and service provision development. Electricity customer service has become increasingly modern, professional, and customer-oriented, aiming to provide greater convenience and satisfaction for electricity consumers.

In the context of simultaneously carrying out the dual tasks of combating COVID-19 and ensuring the provision of electricity for the country's socio-economic development, in 2022, Vietnam Electricity implemented a comprehensive range of solutions to overcome difficulties and continue to achieve new milestones. With the theme for 2022 being "Adaptation for Safety, Flexibility, and Efficiency," EVN and its subsidiaries adapted safety measures in all activities and efficiently implemented tasks in various areas, including production and business, investment and construction, corporate governance, labor utilization, working time, and labor productivity. By the end of 2022, EVN had essentially completed implementing its digital transformation plan in various work areas and continued striving towards becoming a digital enterprise by 2025.

In 2022, the global situation witnessed significant fluctuations, particularly with a sharp increase in the prices of input fuels for electricity production (such as coal, oil, and gas), resulting in significantly higher production and electricity procurement costs for EVN. To minimize these difficulties in business operations, EVN set forth and resolutely implemented various management solutions within the Vietnam Electricity, including cost-saving measures such as reducing significant repairs and conducting regular maintenance, optimizing hydropower resources (with lower costs), and making efforts to negotiate with investors of BOT power plants regarding electricity generation to optimize overall costs. Despite facing significant challenges, EVN successfully fulfilled its assigned political tasks by ensuring the supply of electricity to the people's socio-economic development and daily lives, contributing to the country's overall economic growth. Furthermore, despite these difficulties, EVN made efforts to carry out certain social welfare activities under appropriate conditions in line with the practical circumstances, demonstrating a high sense of responsibility towards the community.

Moving into 2023, it is forecasted that EVN will continue to face numerous challenges in production and business operations as well as financial balancing. However, with regular guidance and attention from the Party and the Government, along with the support and assistance from localities nationwide, and with the perseverance and determination to implement various comprehensive solutions, the leadership and staff of Vietnam Electricity are determined to overcome these difficulties and challenges. They are committed to ensuring the successful completion of providing electricity for the country. They will continue to uphold and maintain their production and business activities, investment and construction endeavors and effectively carry out the theme for 2023, which is "Practicing Saving and Combating Waste."

The entire workforce of Vietnam Electricity, layer by layer, is steadfast in their efforts to be worthy of the 68-year history and traditions of the Vietnamese electricity sector and to live up to the politically challenging and highly noble task entrusted by the Party, the Government, and the people. The collective leadership, employees, and workers throughout EVN will continue their efforts and strive for the goal of ENLIGHTENING TRUST, fostering unity, and exerting their utmost to overcome difficulties to provide electricity for the nation. They will keep the flame of trust from the Party, the Government, and the people burning brightly for Vietnam Electricity.