Phu Quoc's Power Fully Restored After Week-Long Temporary Line Fix

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Electricity has been fully restored to Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island off the southern coast, after a week-long outage caused by a damaged undersea cable, affecting more than 30,000 households and businesses.

The An Giang Electricity Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned Southern Power Corporation (EVN), announced that power had been completely restored late Friday night via a temporary solution. Instead of waiting for complex full repairs, technicians installed a temporary overhead line from the shore of Ha Tien Ward and connected it to the undersea cable.

The cable failure occurred on Nov. 29 when a construction unit working on the Ha Tien coastal road drove piles within the electrical safety corridor, damaging the critical link and causing power outages across the island's north. The incident affected nearly 30,000 households, numerous tourism facilities, and clean water supplies.

An Giang Electricity Company installs a temporary overhead line to restore electricity to Phu Quoc, Dec. 5, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Duong Dong

In response, the power company mobilized 20 generators and supplied electricity from the 110/22 kV Nam Phu Quoc substation through the 22 kV grid with a capacity of 25 MW. However, this capacity was insufficient, forcing more than 6,000 households to undergo rotating power supply and compelling many businesses to rely on costly private generators.

To implement the fix, the company erected four temporary overhead poles, lifted the damaged cable onto a barge, cut out the faulty section, and performed welding repairs. Technicians then conducted rigorous checks to ensure safety before re-energizing the system late Friday. The temporary solution will secure the island’s power supply while the complete restoration of the undersea cable continues, a process expected to take several months, weather permitting.

A corner of Phu Quoc Island. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Phu Quoc currently receives power from both the 110 kV Ha Tien–Phu Quoc undersea cable and the 220 kV Kien Binh–Phu Quoc transmission line. However, the two systems are not yet linked into a complete loop due to ongoing land-clearance obstacles hindering infrastructure development.

Leaders of Phu Quoc stated they would quickly resolve these remaining issues and hand over land on schedule to allow power authorities to complete the necessary connection. The island, a major tourist destination covering 570 square kilometers with a population of nearly 160,000, relies heavily on a stable power supply.

Key points about the power restoration efforts:

  • Emergency Response: The An Giang Electricity Company deployed 20 generators to mitigate the impact of the outage.
  • Temporary Overhead Line: A temporary overhead line was installed to provide immediate power to the island.
  • Challenges Faced: Despite the temporary solution, the power supply remained insufficient for all households, leading to rotating power supply schedules and reliance on private generators.
  • Repair Process: The damaged cable was lifted onto a barge, repaired, and reconnected after thorough safety checks.
  • Long-Term Plans: The full restoration of the undersea cable is expected to take several months, depending on weather conditions.

In the first 11 months of this year, Phu Quoc welcomed 7.6 million visitors, representing a 35% year-on-year increase and exceeding its annual target by almost 5%. This highlights the importance of maintaining a reliable power supply to support the island's growing tourism industry and local economy.

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