Korea’s Doosan interested in EVN’s Quang Trach 2 power project

Doosan, a South Korean heavy industry conglomerate, is looking to work with state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) on the latter’s Quang Trach 2 power plant in Quang Binh province, among other renewable energy projects.

A Doosan delegation made the statement at a Wednesday meeting with EVN general director Nguyen Anh Tuan. For his part, Tuan said Doosan could participate in bidding for some main packages of the project as soon as EVN completes regulatory approval procedures.

In line with Vietnam’s net-zero commitment to 2050, EVN is focusing on energy transition and green energy development. As a result, EVN calls on Doosan to share its experiences in ammonia combustion technology, Tuan added.

The Quang Trach 2 project was approved by the government in February 2021, with EVN as the developer. The initial estimated investment, which was for a coal plant, was VND48.156 billion ($1.9 billion), with 20% from EVN and 80% from loans.

Quang Trach 2 is part of Quang Trach Power Center in the central coastal province of Quang Binh, which includes the Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power plant, also being developed by EVN.

However, in the latest national power development plan (PDP VIII) issued in May 2023, Quang Trach 2 has been halted, along with other coal-fired power projects totaling 13,220 MW.

Under PDP VIII, Quang Trach 2 will be transformed into an LNG-to-power project, with a higher capacity of 1,500 MW. EVN is now working with Quang Binh province to update the project’s legal documents for the change.

In August 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade asked relevant sides to speed up Quang Trach 2 in order to begin construction at the end of 2024.