Vietnam’s first LNG power plants on track for commercial runs

The under-construction Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach, the first LNG-to-power plants in Vietnam, are set to begin commercial operations on November 15, 2024 and May 15, 2025, respectively.

The under-construction Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4, the first LNG-to-power plants in Vietnam, are set to begin commercial operations on November 15, 2024 and May 15, 2025, respectively.

PV Power, a subsidiary of state-run Petrovietnam and the investor of these two projects in Dong Nai province, made the statement during a site visit by Nguyen Hong Linh, chief of Dong Nai's Party Committee, on Thursday.

Nguyen Hong Linh, Secretary of Dong Nai's Party Committee, visits Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 power plants in Dong Nai province, southern Vietnam, December 7, 2023. Photo courtesy of Dong Nai newspaper.

The two projects are currently on schedule, with 72% of the work complete, PV Power added.

PV Power, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) as POW, also urged provincial authorities to support the completion of the plants, especially the securing a lease for the remaining 37 hectares, and land clearance for the 220kV power lines connecting the plants to nearby power stations.

Linh asked the investor to cooperate with local authorities to fix problems and finish the projects on time.

The recently approved national power development plan, PDP VIII, is expected to open a new chapter for Vietnam's electricity industry, with gas to become a key fuel in 2021-2030.

The list of priority LNG projects for development by 2035, contained in Table 1 of Appendix II of the national plan, include Quang Ninh (1,500 MW); Thai Binh (1,500 MW); Nghi Son (1,500 MW); Quang Trach II (1,500 MW); Quynh Lap/Nghi Son (1,500 MW); Hai Lang Phase 1 (1,500 MW); Ca Na (1,500 MW); Long Son (1,500 MW); Hiep Phuoc Phase 1 (1,200 MW); Long An I (1,500 MW); Long An II (1,500 MW); and Bac Lieu (3,200 MW).

Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 had already been approved in PDP VII, and feature in PDP VIII.