AnyHz Delivers Large-Scale Pump VFD Retrofit for Vietnam Municipal Water Network

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — August 2024 — AnyHz has finalized the commissioning of a major variable-frequency drive upgrade across the southern district water distribution network of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The turnkey project covers 45 FST-650L vector inverters installed at nine booster stations, replacing conventional valve-throttling flow control with intelligent, demand-responsive pump speed regulation.

The water utility, which maintains continuous supply for roughly 1.2 million people in Vietnam's largest metropolitan area, previously operated its booster fleet with fixed-speed motors and manual throttle valves. Under this legacy approach, pumps ran at full rated speed regardless of actual consumption, forcing operators to artificially restrict output at the valve while the motor continued drawing maximum power.

Energy auditors identified this setup as the single largest source of electrical waste in the network, with peak-hour over-pumping and off-peak throttling creating a persistent efficiency gap that inflated operating budgets and accelerated mechanical fatigue across the system.

Working through its authorized Vietnam channel partner, AnyHz engineered a station-by-station retrofit plan built around the FST-650L general-purpose flux vector inverter. Each 30 kW drive was paired with a remote pressure transmitter and programmed for closed-loop constant-pressure operation, allowing pump speed to track real-time demand rather than fighting it through mechanical restriction.

Key technical elements of the deployment include:

• 45 × FST-650L-030G/037P-T4 units, commissioned across nine geographically distributed booster stations

• PID-based pressure regulation with ±0.05 bar accuracy, eliminating the pressure swings that previously triggered customer complaints

• Multi-pump sequencing logic to equalize runtime hours across redundant pump sets and prevent uneven wear

• Soft-start acceleration ramps that suppress inrush current from 6–7× rated down to 1.2×, removing water-hammer stress from the pipeline

• RS-485 Modbus RTU interface feeding live operational data into the utility's central SCADA dashboard

The FST-650L's flux vector algorithm proved particularly suited to the application, delivering full torque at low speeds where simpler V/Hz drives would have struggled to maintain pressure during overnight low-flow conditions.

Twelve months of post-commissioning data, independently reviewed by the Vietnam Energy Conservation Center (VECC), confirmed substantial operational gains:

The utility's finance team calculates a full 18-month return on investment, a figure that qualifies the project for Vietnam's national industrial energy-efficiency incentive scheme and positions the remaining network zones for similar upgrades.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Chief Technical Officer at the water supply group, noted the operational shift went beyond simple cost savings. "Our field crews used to spend most of their time responding to pressure alarms and replacing damaged valves. Now they focus on preventive maintenance because the system runs itself. Residents stopped calling about weak water pressure during evening peaks — that alone justified the project."

He added that AnyHz's local commissioning engineers provided hands-on training for station operators, ensuring the utility's staff could manage parameter adjustments and fault diagnostics without relying on external support for routine issues.

AnyHz (Anyhertz Drive Shenzhen Co., Ltd.) is a China-based, national high-tech enterprise specializing in variable frequency drives and motor control systems. Established in 2005, the company designs and manufactures flux vector inverters for pump, fan, elevator, and industrial automation applications, holding full independent intellectual property rights and ISO9001 certification. AnyHz products are active in more than 100 countries, supported by distribution and service partners across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Russia, India, Africa, and Latin America.

The FST-650L series is a general-purpose vector inverter engineered for fluid-handling and HVAC applications, combining advanced PID control, multi-pump staging, sleep/wake logic, and comprehensive motor protection in a compact, fan-cooled chassis.