Largest power plant on track to boost national grid

Receiving Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai at Son La hydro-power plant yesterday, EVN representatives said the installation of the third and fourth turbines of the plant was on schedule and turbine No 3 would become operational in August and turbine No 4 in December.

Most of the equipment for the last two turbines No 5 and 6 for the plant, located in the northern mountainous province of Son La, had also been delivered to the site, waiting for installation.

By yesterday, the first two turbines of the plant, which joined the national grid in January and April this year, had generated more than 2 billion kWh of electricity, nearly half of the amount generated by the whole country in a month.

The electricity generated by the two turbines had made significant contributions to the country's energy security during this year's dry season, the EVN said.

Hai asked the project management board of Son La Hydro-power Company and contractors to pay more attention to the lives of workers to help them do a better job.

The plant, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, is invested, designed, built and operated by Viet Nam.

With six turbine groups and a combined capacity of 2,400MW, the project has a total investment capital of some VND42 trillion (more than US$2 billion) and will produce 10.2 billion kWh of power a year when it is completed.

Vietnam News