Phu Quy Island’s economy empowered by reliable power supply

The Southern Power Corporation under the Vietnam Electricity (EVN SPC) has completed a project on development and modernization of Phu Quy Island’s power grid to meet the increasing demand for electricity and ensure steady and safe supply for the island’s population of 27,000.

The project included the expansion of a diesel-fueled power source on the island with additional capacity of 5MW, and upgrading and expansion of the low- and medium-voltage power grid by installing a 29.387km medium-voltage power line, a 18.865km low-voltage power line, and transformer stations with total capacity of 5,620kVA. The project cost about VND270 billion.

According to EVN SPC, Phu Quy Island has been powered 24 hours a day since 2014 at the same tariffs as on the mainland. Pham Van Thanh, director of the Phu Quy Island Power Company, said power is now available to all households on the island, contributing to improving residents’ living conditions.

With round-the-clock power, the island’s maritime economy has been thriving. Many households have invested in ice-making machines and oxygen concentrators to improve the preservation of seafood on fishing vessels offshore, while business households have expanded their processing facilities.

Tourism has developed as well. Residents have invested in modern high-speed boats to take tourists to the island, cutting travel time from 7-8 hours to less than three. Households have also built motels, hotels and restaurants to serve domestic and foreign tourists. New tourist models have appeared, such as homestays, discovery tours and coral diving.

So far, Phu Quy Island has 25 motels and hotels, and dozens of guesthouses and homestay facilities. In 2018, the island welcomed nearly 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors.

The steady and safe power supply plays an important role in the development of the island, gradually eliminating the gap between the island and the mainland.

Phu Quy Island currently plans to meet the new rural area criteria, gradually becoming a center of fishing logistics services, ship repair and rescue in the region by 2020, and a key tourist area of Binh Thuan Province by 2025.