HANOI: Construction of a US$2.2 billion thermal power plant started yesterday in the central province of Nghe An’s Quynh Lap Commune. The Quynh Lap 1 thermal power plant, invested in by the Viet Nam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (VINACOMIN), consists of two turbines with a combined capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony yesterday, General Director of VINACOMIN, Dang Thanh Hai said that the power plant’s investment was the highest of all the projects the enterprise has ever had.
Upon completion in 2020, the plant will add 6.6 billion kilowatt hours to the national grid every year, doubling the share of electricity the VINACOMIN produces and contributes to the power system so far. The power plant would utilise all domestically-made operation equipment to the utmost, he added.
“Korean contractor of Doosan in co-operation with Vietnamese enterprises like Lilama and Narime Corporations will design and manufacture equipment for the two turbines,” Hai said.
Chairman of the Nghe An Province’s People’s Committee, Nguyen Xuan Duong, noted that the power plant was an important project which would contribute to ensuring national energy security, developing the northern central region’s economy and creating jobs for local labourers. The province pledged to create the most favourable conditions for investors to finish the construction on time, he said.
The Quynh Lap 1 thermal plant is part of the Quynh Lap Thermal Power Centre project, which covers 283 hectares. The project, which includes two thermal power plants, has a total capacity of 2,400 megawatts with four 600-megawatt turbines.
The plant was expected to promote the economic development of the central region and to secure the national energy security, especially when there were fears that the country would be in short about five billion kWh toward year end.
