EVN helps shrimp farmers save electricity

With the goal of continuing to be the leading unit in the implementation of energy saving programs and solutions in Vietnam, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) and its Southern Power Corporation (EVN SPC) have implemented a project on saving electricity for shrimp farming households in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces during the 2016-2018 period.

Reducing costs

According to a survey, most industrial shrimp farms use low-efficiency electric motors such as 2 HP (1.5kW) and 3 HP (2.25kW), leading to large power consumption.

Nguyen Phuoc Duc, deputy general director of EVN SPC, said the corporation implemented the project with the goal of introducing power saving solutions in seafood farming in order to contribute to reducing power consumption, saving production costs and increasing profits.

The project includes three phases. The pilot phase started at the end of 2016 and ran to August 2017 in Soc Trang Province. The first phase is being implemented in 2017 in some Mekong Delta provinces such as Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Ca Mau, while the second phase will be carried out in 2018 in the provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan.

After nearly one year of implementation in Soc Trang Province, the project has attracted 161 shrimp farming households. EVN SPC has provided free support for households and guided them on the installation and use of machinery and equipment. The project costs VND609 million, and enabled participants to reduce power consumption by 38.7 percent, equivalent to VND1.9 billion. The company plans to expand it to additional shrimp farming households.

In addition, the Soc Trang Power Company is implementing an experimental model using gear reducers for water fans at a total investment of VND1.4 billion.

Expanding the model

The implementation of the project has helped raise public awareness of the economic and efficient use of electricity and to share experience in energy saving practices.

EVN is instructing its southern subsidiary to continue research on new power saving models and solutions in order to introduce them to shrimp farming households in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces.

Based on the results of the pilot, EVN has proposed to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology to adopt technical standards and regulations for agricultural production machinery and equipment in order to achieve the highest efficiency of electricity use.

In order to expand the project, EVN is urging municipal and provincial people’s committees, local departments of industry and trade, and relevant agencies in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces to communicate safe electricity usage in shrimp farming activities, especially disseminating information on the use of electric motors with energy labels as prescribed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It is also recommending that inspections be intensified in order to penalize violations of instruction on the economic and efficient use of electricity in agricultural production in particular and in all sectors in general.

Based on the results of a pilot phase, at relatively low cost Vietnam can achieve high efficiency in power use for agricultural production, contributing to reducing costs for farming households. EVN is instructing its southern subsidiary EVN SPC to continue researching new power saving models and solutions for shrimp farming households in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces.