Ensuring electricity, gasoline and essential goods supply

Early on the morning of September 8, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien chaired a meeting with leaders of units to make a preliminary assessment of the initial damage and propose solutions to overcome the problem, focusing on three key issues: restoring power supply; ensuring the maintenance of gasoline for the market; and ensuring the supply of essential goods for the people.

Nearly 1 million electricity customers affected

Reporting at the meeting, Mr. Bui Huy Son, Director of the Department of Planning and Finance, said that implementing the Prime Minister's telegrams, before and during the storm's landfall, the Minister of Industry and Trade issued four telegrams to direct units to respond, prevent, minimize damage and overcome damage after the storm passed, promptly restore power supply and proactively prepare and ensure the supply of gasoline, food, foodstuffs, and essential goods ready to be brought to the market, especially in areas that may be cut off and isolated by the storm and its circulation.

On the morning of September 6, before the storm made landfall, the Minister of Industry and Trade directly inspected the response to storm No. 3 at Vietnam Electricity Group and the National Electricity System and Market Operation Company (NSMO). Later, due to the complicated developments of the storm, Deputy Minister Truong Thanh Hoai also directly led a delegation to inspect the response to storm No. 3 at NSMO.

At the same time, the Ministry sent the Director of the Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment to join the Government's inspection delegation in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. On the afternoon of September 6, the Domestic Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) coordinated with the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade to inspect the storage of essential consumer goods before storm No. 3 made landfall.

According to reports from functional units of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, storm No. 3 caused severe damage to the power system.Both the transmission grid and distribution grid had to stop some generators to ensure safety, with an estimated impact on nearly 1 million electricity customers.(5 500kV lines, 31 220kV lines; 97 110kV lines were damaged, 10 factories had to stop or reduce.

By 6am on September 8, the load that could not be supplied in the North was 63%, the most severe was Hai Duong (98%, Quang Ninh up to 99%) and on a large scale in many provinces, especially Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Phu Tho had to proactively cut off power to ensure the safety of the power system. In addition, the loss of telecommunications networks made it difficult to fix the problem.

Petroleum businesses also suffered damage: B12 Petroleum Company (the largest petroleum supplier in the North) suffered a landslide of 100m of embankment and the sinking of 2 tugboats while anchored at the port warehouse. Cai Lan petroleum warehouse (Quang Ninh); An Hai and Dinh Vu (Hai Phong) were also affected. Many petroleum stores in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong had their roofs blown off.

“Widespread power outages and lack of Internet connection have affected vending facilities and electronic invoice data connections. So far, there have been no recorded casualties. However, the overall damage could increase as the storm continues to move further inland and its circulation could cause damage to the northern mountainous provinces,” said a representative of the Department of Planning and Finance.

Ensure adequate fuel and essential goods supply

To minimize damage caused by storm No. 3, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed the implementation of measures to ensure safety, minimize damage, promptly fix power problems, and ensure the supply of gasoline and essential goods.

Specifically, in the electricity sector, units have been highly focused, on standby to promptly handle many incidents and urgently fix them after the storm has passed. By 10:30 p.m. on September 7, power units had re-energized all affected transformer stations and 220kV lines. Relevant power units are continuing to check the safety of 110kV lines to continue re-energizing.

All Power Companies from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa have re-established shifts at all 110kV substations, power lines and critical grid locations. By 10:30 p.m. on September 7, power plants were restoring self-consumption power to prepare for startup and grid connection.

Before the storm, the Ministry proactively directed the suspension and reduction of power supply at power plants to ensure safety for people, equipment and property. On the night of September 7, 3/10 thermal power plants were restored, and the others are being urgently repaired.

According to the report of the Domestic Market Department, the work of ensuring the supply of gasoline has been proactively prepared by key enterprises in the localities to provide enough goods for 1-2 days. Immediately after the storm passes, coordination activities can return to normal.

Regarding the supply of food and essential goods, there is no shortage of goods because the supply is quite adequate; there is no sudden increase in prices. Only in traditional markets, the price of vegetables and fruits increased slightly.

Due to storms, the transportation and supply of goods has encountered local difficulties in some areas. Supermarkets remain open continuously, with guaranteed supply. As of 9am on September 7, major supermarket chains in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Lang Son, and Bac Kan had essential foods such as vegetables, fruits, pork, chicken, etc. on the shelves.

Mobilize all resources

At the meeting, the Minister of Industry and Trade requested to immediately carry out 3 key tasks. Specifically, focusing on directing, inspecting, and urging units in the electricity sector (energy sector) to mobilize all resources, both human and material, to overcome incidents of power generation units of the power line and transmission system as well as the grid so that the base is ready to supply electricity again to serve production and people's lives. At the same time, units in the energy sector must also check the safety of the system, maintain the supply; especially the units, enterprises that are the focal points for income distribution and retail stores to ensure the supply of gasoline to the market, ensuring stability.

The Minister directed key enterprises and distributors to supply sufficient quantities of goods to the retail system, meeting all requirements of production and people's lives. At the same time, he directed the Department of Industry and Trade of localities and the goods distribution system, the retail system nationwide, especially the provinces affected by storm No. 3, to mobilize all resources and be ready to fully and promptly supply essential goods and services to serve people's lives and production.

Based on the situation synthesis, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that local Party committees and authorities focus on directing the troubleshooting of power lines and stations to restore power supply as soon as possible to serve production and business activities and people's lives.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Dien requested local authorities to coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant ministries and branches to focus on directing key traders and distributors to ensure the maintenance of the supply of gasoline and essential goods to serve production and people's lives in all situations, and at the same time direct the Department of Industry and Trade and local authorities to review and have plans to ensure the supply of goods, especially essential goods to serve people's lives in the area.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also proposed that the Government allow energy sector units to increase the reserve level of materials and replacement equipment to promptly respond to natural disasters...