Initiative underway to improve power quality

HCM CITY — An Asia Power Quality Initiative (APQI) core group in Viet Nam has been formed towards establishing a network of stakeholders to effect improvements in the national power system, a workshop heard yesterday.

The core group comprises the Viet Nam Electrotechnical Industry Association (VELINA), national power utility EVN, power companies and international consultants.

The workshop is part of a project that was launched in March this year. The project will begin conducting a survey of power quality across Viet Nam next year.

The project, which is itself part of a regional initiative, aims to help manufacturing industries in Asia address power quality problems as a means to enhance their competitiveness by reducing financial losses, said Nguyen Manh Tung, a project consultant.

Viet Nam is among seven countries in Asia that the 32-month project covers, the others being China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

It is co-funded by the European Commission's Asia-Invest programme and the International Copper Association (ICA), with a total funding of 500,000 euros (US$636,000), he said.

VELINA has worked with the APQI in Viet Nam to conduct market research, seminars, training workshops and other activities to raise awareness among managers and decision-makers in manufacturing and service industries and to build the capacity of electrical engineers and electrical system designers.

Under the project, a national power quality support network including State agencies, power utilities, industry associations, professional associations and institutes and suppliers will be established and capacity building activities carried out. — VNS