Con Dao lights up with the national power grid, a turning point for a sustainable future

The project to bring the national grid to Con Dao special economic zone has been completed, marking an important turning point in the development of island infrastructure.

Grid electricity - the solution to many challenges of Con Dao

For many years, Con Dao Special Economic Zone (HCMC) has been supplied with electricity mainly from diesel generators. This source of electricity is both limited in capacity and expensive to operate, with higher costs compared to electricity from the national grid. In particular, the transportation of fuel by sea is often affected by the weather, posing a risk of insecurity and interruption in the supply of electricity for daily life and production.

Local people and authorities always wish to have a stable, safe and large enough power source to serve daily life and socio-economic development. Therefore, bringing the national grid electricity by submarine cable across the sea to the island is not only a simple infrastructure project, but also a fundamental and sustainable solution, helping Con Dao escape the "bottleneck" of many years.

The national power grid crossed the sea and officially arrived in Con Dao special economic zone on September 4. Photo: EVN

On September 4, the Power Project Management Board 3 under Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) successfully energized the 110kV Con Dao Transformer Station, bringing the national grid power to serve this special zone.

Bringing the national grid to Con Dao helps ensure a safe, continuous and stable power supply; replaces on-site diesel sources, reduces production costs, limits greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to fulfilling Vietnam's commitment to sustainable development.

EVN representative emphasized that the project also affirms the capacity to deploy large-scale energy projects with modern technology in complex and harsh construction conditions at sea. This is considered an important turning point in the energy infrastructure development strategy, demonstrating the determination of the Government and the electricity industry in caring for and developing infrastructure for the sea and island areas.

The project to supply electricity to Con Dao is invested by Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), with a total investment of 4,923 billion VND. The project is designed with a voltage level of 110kV, the total length of the line is 103.7km, including 17.5km of overhead line through Vinh Chau town ( Can Tho ), 77.7km of submarine cable and 8.5km of submarine cable on the island.

The project includes the expansion of the 220kV Vinh Chau Substation and the construction of the 110/22kV GIS Substation in Con Dao. The project started in December 2024, completed cable pulling on August 12, 2025, test energized on August 22 and officially put into operation on September 2, 2025.

Recently, on September 26, Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation (EVNHCMC) also held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project "Building a smart grid in Con Dao special zone". The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year with many modern technologies: 100% of medium and low voltage grids and transformer stations are automated, remotely controlled and monitored; integrating renewable energy; applying artificial intelligence in operations; strictly complying with security and data confidentiality regimes.

These solutions help improve power supply reliability, optimize operations, reduce power loss, save national resources, and protect the environment.

Groundbreaking ceremony for smart grid construction project in Con Dao special economic zone

The project, when completed, is expected to provide a stable power source with quality equivalent to that of inner-city areas of Ho Chi Minh City. During the 2026-2028 period, the system will continue to integrate green energy, storage batteries and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, in line with Ho Chi Minh City's green and sustainable development orientation.

New development opportunities, towards a sustainable future

The national grid not only provides a stable and affordable power source for the people of Con Dao special economic zone, but also creates a boost for key economic sectors, especially tourism and services.

Con Dao is known as a destination for spiritual, ecological and high-end resort tourism. However, tourism infrastructure has faced major obstacles over the years due to lack of electricity. Hotels and resorts have been forced to equip their own backup generators, which is both costly and affects service quality. Now with a stable power source, many investors will boldly invest in large-scale projects, creating more jobs and income for local people.

In addition to tourism, the national grid also promotes the development of other sectors such as aquaculture, seafood processing, fishing logistics services, information technology, healthcare, and education. Stable electricity sources create conditions for the construction of modern hospitals, high-quality schools, the deployment of smart urban services, and the application of digital technology.

From a social security perspective, when electricity costs are reduced, people benefit directly. Households no longer have to worry about high electricity bills or sudden power outages. Children can study with peace of mind, and adults have more favorable conditions in production and business.

At the national level, bringing electricity to Con Dao also demonstrates the close concern of the Party and State for people in remote areas and islands.

Power transmission line system spreads along the roads in Con Dao special zone

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the smart grid construction project in Con Dao special economic zone, Mr. Huynh Tan Dinh, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, affirmed that the investment in the smart grid system in Con Dao is a breakthrough, not only ensuring a stable, safe, continuous, high-quality power source but also paving the way for digital transformation, smart governance and green growth.

This will be the foundation to attract strategic investors, develop high-end tourism, marine economy, night-time economy, creative startups... in line with the orientation of "fast, sustainable, green and digital growth" as set out in the resolutions on the development of Con Dao special economic zone.

Located about 230km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao is an archipelago of 16 large and small islands, with an area of ​​nearly 76km2 and a population of nearly 7,000 people. Con Dao will become the only special zone directly under Ho Chi Minh City from July 1, 2025.

Quang Hung

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/con-dao-bung-sang-cung-luoi-dien-quoc-gia-buoc-ngoat-cho-tuong-lai-ben-vung-2449529.html