Vietnam's hydroelectricity capacity reviewed
HANOI - Vietnam's nine hydropower plants currently make
up 53 per cent of the energy sector's capacity, but they produced
23,739m kWh or 58.7 per cent of the country's output in 1999.
The nine hydropower plants are of various sizes, some small like Dray
Hlinh, others medium like Da Nhim, Thac Ba, Thac Mo and Tri An, and
still others large like Hoa Binh and Yaly.
The largest one is the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, which was built in
1980 in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh with assistance
from the former Soviet Union. The plant accounted for 40 per cent of
the country's capacity, but 60 per cent of its electricity output. It
has to date supplied 61bn kWh to the national grid, an average of
8.16bn kWh a year. With a reservoir capable of holding as much as 5bn
cu.m. of water, the plant has also contributed to the control of
flooding in the Red River Delta. For such achievements, the plant has
been awarded the title of Labour Hero, the highest distinction for
production activities.
The second largest hydropower plant is Yaly, currently being built in
the central highlands province of Kon Tum. Its first group of
generators has been running at full capacity (180 MW) since May this
year and the second group is being run on a trial basis. The
four-generator-group plant is the largest power project financed,
designed and built entirely by Vietnam alone. The 720-MW plant is
expected to commission the last generator group by the end of October,
2001.
The nine hydropower plants have annually produced 13,973 GWh,
representing 30 per cent of the electricity produced by fuel-powered
plants. They have also provided irrigation water for 12,000 ha of
cultivated land a year.
For such reasons, the energy sector has tried to exploit the abundant
water resources of the country.
The national corporation, Electricity of Vietnam, has updated the
technology of older plants, ensuring efficiency while protecting the
environment. It has proposed the state approve the building of another
20 power plants with a combined capacity of 35,000 MW, including
11,000 MW from hydropower plants, in the 2001-2020 period. Prominent
among the proposed plants is a hydropower plant in the northern
mountainous province of Son La. The 3,600 MW plant is designed to
generate 14bn kWh a year. It will also help increase the capacity of
the Hoa Binh plant by 3m kWh a year (equivalent to a 800 MW plant).
Vietnam News Agency - September 30, 2000.
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