From a poor island district with poor infrastructure, Co To island in the northern province of Quang Ninh has strived to become a famous tourist destination. One of the biggest breakthroughs for the island came with its access to the national grid last year.
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Workers from the Quang Ninh provincial power company attend to electricity lines on Co To island. (Photo: Quang Ninh newspaper) |
Before that access on 16 October 2013, the district had to use generators to produce electricity. To satisfy the power demand of over 6,000 islanders, each year, Co To Island district had to spend over VND30 billion, including VND10 billion from the State and the rest paid by islanders. This large expense partly held back the development of some spearhead economic industries, including tourism, fishing and the processing of fish.
For that reason, Quang Ninh province and the Northern Power Corporation (NPC) decided to bring power to the district. Officially inaugurated on 4 November 2012 and capitalized at over VND1.106 trillion, the project built diverse works, including 23.226 kilometres of 110kV line, 25.064 kilometres of undersea cable, and 43.333 kilometres of 22kV overhead line.
The national grid has changed the appearance of the district, remarkably improving people’s lives. Islanders do not hesitate to use power for economic development. Ngo Van Tuat, in Co To town, said that, earlier, as the power fee was very expensive, he had to pay at least VND200,000 per month. When his family used the power from the national grid, he only had to pay VND100,000 for several electronic devices. “With the inexpensive electricity fee, I bought more fridges to keep seafood fresher and saved more money,” he said.
The electricity also brought the island greater opportunities for developing tourism – the sector that was set as a spearhead industry for the district. According to Nguyen Duc Thanh, Secretary of the district Party Committee, over the past 30 years, Co To island built some 1,300 houses worth VND90 billion. However, within 6 months of having access to the national grid, people built over 500 rooms worth VND100 billion for accommodation and to welcome visitors. At present, many families are expanding their houses to provide accommodation with greater comfort for visitors.
During 2014 tourism reason, the district invests more in express buses and trams to serve tourism. “The district’s socio-economic development has seen a breakthrough thanks to the national grid,” said Mr. Thanh./.