Finland's Wartsila plans to build 300 MW power in northern Vietnam

Finnish firm Wartsila is planning to build a 300-MW power plant using internal combustion engines (ICE) in Ninh Binh province.

Frederic Carron, vice president in charge of Middle East & Asia region at Wartsila, delivered the proposal to Ninh Binh Chairman Pham Quang Ngoc at a meeting in the province last week.

The VND5.6 trillion ($235.1 million) project, featuring 17 ICE systems, can contribute VND180 billion ($7.56 million) to the local budget yearly and can be expanded to 1,500 MW, the executive highlighted.

Wartsila specializes in innovation and solutions for the marine and energy markets. The company has developed over 5,000 power factories featuring over 12,000 ICE systems with a total capacity of 76,000 MW in 180 countries, Carron noted.

The proposed power plant in Ninh Binh will utilize sustainable and clean materials, such as hydrogen and LNG, and will be located far from residential areas to ensure no negative impacts on local citizens and the tourism sector, he added.

The Finnish firm asked local authorities to add the project to the provincial plan for 2021-2030 with vision to 2030, suggest suitable locations for implementation, and work with the government to add the project to the national power development plan 8 (PDP 8).

Welcoming the project, Ninh Binh Chairman Pham Quang Ngoc recommended Kim Dong commune, Kim Son district as a suitable location.

The 100-MW Ninh Binh thermal power plant, which entered operation in 1974, is scheduled to close soon, so Ngoc lauded Wartsila’s project as a replacement for the 49-year-old power plant.

Ninh Binh Power Company, under state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), recorded electricity sales of 1.12 billion kWh in the first six months of this year, the firm reported.