Electricity Vietnam (EVN) plans to nominate three of its self-developed automated products as 'Make in Vietnam'. (Source: MOIT)

The three are among the six selected “Make by EVN” products developed by its affiliates, including three-phase electricity gauge, EVN electric vehicle charger, and smart remote fault indicator (SRFI) and fault diagnosis scheme (FDS) by the Central Power Corporation (CPC); outage management system (OMS) by the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC); remote data collection software EVNHES by the EVN Information and Communications Technology Company (EVNICT); and the load dispatch digitalisation project by the Hanoi Power Corporation (EVNHANOI).

The corporation has accelerated digital transformation over the past several years, making use of the Fourth Industrial Revolution achievements and digital data and technologies to improve management and production efficiency and create added values.

The “Make by EVN” programme was launched by the State-owned corporation last year, said Nguyen Xuan Tuan, head of EVN’s information and telecommunications department. Under the programme, the group sets to have 10 “Make by EVN” and three “Make in Vietnam” products by 2025 in accordance to its digital transformation roadmap, he added.

It aims to complete digital transformation by the end of this year and make itself a digital enterprise by 2025. The company expects automated production will facilitate the uninterrupted, stable and safe operation of its electricity system and improve service quality for customers.

To this end, the EVN has been very active in developing and applying new automation solutions when installing transmission lines, transformer stations and control centres. It has also put into use the SCADA/EMS (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/ Energy Management System) which retrieves data and alarms, and enables control of power systems remotely, with an integration of an energy management system.

The EVNHES, the only system in Vietnam able to connect with all types of devices in EVN’s power network, has been widely deployed by EVN units to collect data from meters remotely.

Additionally, unmanned transformer stations and control centres have been launched, enhancing the effectiveness and productivity of its units. The EVN now has 804 unmanned transformer stations across the country, and each city and province has at least a control centre connected with these stations.

Automation has truly made EVN’s operation, renovation, maintenance and repair of power systems more effectively, Tuan said.

By 2025, the EVN will complete its transformation into a digital enterprise, developing an advanced load dispatch system, and widely applying smart grid technology. It has set a goal of running remote control and unmanned operation for 100% of its 110kV stations in the 2021 - 2025 period and 100% of the 220 kV stations in the 2025-2030 period.

By 2030, the group eyes the establishment of a science and technology institution housing up to two laboratories. In the 2030-2045 period, its laboratory facilities and equipment for applied research in electricity-related fields are expected to reach an advanced level, on par with developing countries in the region.

In addition, the EVN will work to improve the quality of its power distribution and customer services. It will modernise and professionalise its business, with a target of becoming among the top three ASEAN member states in terms of customer services from 2025 and maintaining this position until 2045.

The national digital transformation programme was issued by the government in 2020, targeting to make Vietnam a stable, prosperous digital country who pioneers in experimenting new technologies and models to boost economic growth.