On the 500 kV line 3 arc Quang Trach – Pho Noi, there are currently 3 special pole positions with a height of up to 145m. These are the support pole positions, allowing the 500 kV line to cross large lakes. These pole positions are all located in Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh province. Of these, pole positions 135 and 136 crossing Thuong Tuy lake are undertaken by PC1 Hanoi Group Joint Stock Company; pole position 175 crossing Boc Nguyen lake is constructed by Song Da Construction and Service Joint Stock Company.

As the unit in charge of 2 out of 3 pole positions with a height of 145m, PC1 Hanoi Group Joint Stock Company has deployed a team of engineers and workers with a lot of experience and high expertise to carry out the installation. However, because these are very high pole positions, the construction process also encountered many difficulties.

At the construction site of column 135, under the scorching sun, dozens of workers are urgently installing the components of the column top. Among them, there is a system of horizontal bars for installing wires. Taking on the ground work, worker Nguyen Thanh Tai and his colleagues are straining to install a system of supports and bars to assemble into the column top. Even though they are working on the ground, the work is still extremely hard.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tai shared that in the morning he works from 6am to about 10:30am, in the afternoon from 2:30pm to about 7pm. The weather here is very hot, so the workers have to work early and rest early to ensure their health for the following days. During the work, because there are many components to assemble the columns, some of which weigh tons, it is impossible to use human power and must use a crane to support.

At the high position, a group of 5 workers are urgently hoisting iron columns and components up to assemble the top of the column. Working at high altitudes, under the heat of the sun and strong winds makes the work process extremely difficult. It takes dozens of minutes to lift a crossbar up high because the distance from the ground to the installation location is hundreds of meters high.

As one of the most experienced workers, Mr. Pham Manh Hieu was assigned as the team leader, in charge of the high-altitude construction. Mr. Pham Manh Hieu shared that after completing the installation at column 136, he was assigned by the company to continue working at column 135.

“The most difficult part of working at height is the hot weather, sometimes it rains. Especially at this time in Ha Tinh, there are often strong winds, so moving up high is very difficult. Many times, when we set up at a height of over 100 meters, moving up and down is very difficult, so lunch is often pulled up to eat right there. After that, we take a break right up high to continue working in the afternoon,” added Mr. Pham Manh Hieu.

The positions of pillars 135 and 136 are support pillars, crossing Thuong Tuy Lake with a distance of more than 1km. The pillars are designed with a height of up to 145m (normal pillars are 50 – 80m), weighing 426 tons. In particular, the steel pillar system is a tubular pillar, used for the first time in a 500kV transmission line project in Vietnam.

Mr. Vu Xuan Truong – Commander of Package 21 (PC1 Hanoi Joint Stock Company) said that the construction unit of Package 21 has 12 positions (from columns 127 – 138). For columns 135 and 136, due to the height and weight of the large steel pipe, the construction process requires the support of many modern machines such as 400 tons. In addition, the construction team must be highly skilled, have experience working at many projects and be in good health to ensure safety as well as technique.

“Currently, the position of column 136 has been basically completed and the wire pulling process has begun. For column 135, the installation will be completed in about 3 days to serve the wire pulling process,” said Mr. Vu Xuan Truong.

The 500 kV 3-circuit line project from Quang Trach – Pho Noi is 518.14 km long, passing through 9 provinces (Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Hai Duong and Hung Yen). The section passing through Ha Tinh province is 141.52 km long with 285 foundation locations and 284 pole spaces/113 anchor spaces in 9 districts and towns.

To date, contractors and support forces have installed more than 220 pole positions and started pulling wires at anchor points. This is a key project, playing a particularly important role in energy security; contributing to improving the transmission capacity of the national power system, urgently ensuring electricity supply for the North during the peak period of 2024 and the following years.