Vietnam’s islanders wait decades for power as tourism outpaces electricity

But for the people who live here, life after sunset often means darkness.

More than two decades since residents first settled on the islands, Nam Du – part of Kien Hai Special Zone in An Giang Province – still has no connection to Vietnam's national power grid. 

Islanders depend on diesel generators that operate for limited hours each day, leaving homes, shops, and guesthouses without power for at least an hour daily.

"We've lived with this for years," said Nguyen Van Ut, a longtime resident. 

"When the generator breaks down, we just wait. Sometimes it takes days."

Ut remembers using oil lamps and battery-powered lights before diesel power arrived around 2000. 

Today, families pay about VND200,000 (US$7.6) a month for a few hours of electricity from local generators that run between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

Tourism has grown quickly on Nam Du, attracting visitors drawn to its white-sand beaches and coral reefs. 

But for many, the island's beauty contrasts sharply with its unreliable electricity.

"It's hard to believe such a famous tourist spot doesn't have power from the mainland," said Nguyen Van Hau, a visitor from Can Tho City. 

"During blackouts, hotels have to run their own generators, which must cost them a lot."

Local authorities say the special zone currently operates 14 generators to supply about 23 hours of power a day to the archipelago, but that remains insufficient, especially during peak tourism months. 

Officials are urging residents and businesses to install solar panels and backup systems to reduce pressure on the grid.

A long-awaited project to bring national electricity to Nam Du is finally moving forward.

The Southern Power Corporation under the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVNSPC) plans to build a 39km undersea cable linking the mainland to the islands, divided into three segments connecting Lai Son, Hon Dau, Hon Cu Tron, and Hon Ngang.

The project, with an estimated investment of VND1.43 trillion ($54.3 million), is expected to begin construction in December after contractor selection next month, said Kien Hai Special Zone chairman Chau Hung Ky.

"We hope this project will be prioritized and completed soon," Ky said. 

"Electricity is essential not only for residents but also for tourism, economic growth and security in the southwestern sea region," he added, referring to the sea region of Vietnam bordering the Gulf of Thailand.

For now, islanders like Ut continue to wait — listening each evening for the low hum of the generators that bring light, however briefly, to their island paradise.