BP seeks to help long-delayed power plant in central Vietnam with coal-to-LNG conversion

British oil-gas giant BP seeks to help the Cong Thanh coal-fired power project in Thanh Hoa province with its transition into an LNG-fired plant, said Chris Bramley, vice president of integrated gas & power at BP.

The executive made the statement at a Tuesday meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long.

He affirmed the move would simultaneously help ensure Vietnam's energy security and reduce carbon emissions per Vietnam’s international commitment.

Backing the suggestion, Long said the ministry would welcome major businesses including BP to make LNG investments in Vietnam.

He asked the firm to provide more details, such as the timeline of the project, so that the Ministry of Industry and Trade can help with the deployment in line with the country’s power development plan VIII (PDP VIII).

BP also noted its plan to build an LNG terminal to help the Cong Thanh power plant project.

The 600-MW Cong Thanh, invested by local firm Cong Thanh Cement JSC, is a long-delayed coal-fired power project in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

It features in PDP VIII as a project with serious financial problems, along with four other coal-fired power plant projects. Its construction started in March 2011 with an investment of VND13 trillion ($511.7 million), but little progress was made.

The investor has proposed that the power plant be converted into an LNG-fired one, with a capacity of 1,500 MW and an annual output of nine billion kWh. The investment can go up to $2 billion, and the commercial operation is scheduled for 2028.

Vietnam currently has no LNG-to-power plants. Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4, Vietnam’s first LNG-to-power plants, are set to begin commercial operations in June and September 2025, respectively, according to project investor PV Power.