Work starts on $260m hydroelectric plant

Construction of the VND4.9 trillion (US$260 million) Song Bung 4 Hydropower Plant kicked off yesterday in the central province of Quang Nam’s Nam Giang District.

When completed, the plant will have two turbines with designed capacity of 156MW to provide an average 586 million kWh per year. The first turbine is scheduled to go online in November, 2013. The second is expected to be operational by March 2014.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said the project was significant because it would help to ensure energy security and water supply during the dry season in central provinces, satisfy agricultural irrigation demands and prevent floods as conditions alter with climate change. Hai asked Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN), the plant’s investor, and provincial authorities to take care of resettled residents and give them the land they need to continue with their livelihoods.

EVN committed to ensuring that the 220 resettled households would have better living conditions in their new homes.

The plant is one of eight projects built along the Vu Gia-Thu Bon river system. The combined projects have total productivity of 1,226 MW and are capable of supplying 4.8 billion kWh annually.

Song Bung 4 is the first hydropower plant built under the co-operative efforts of the Vietnamese Government and the Asia Development Bank, which granted a $196 million loan for the project.

The primary contractor is China’s Sinohydro Corporation Limited. — VNS

Tags: Song Bung 4 Hydropower Plant, Vietnam energy