Southern Vietnam province announces further delay of 1,500-MW LNG-to-power project

Long An province in the Mekong Delta has announced a further delay in the operation schedule of one of two LNG-to-power projects that have a capacity of 1,500 MW each.

The delay has just been announced by the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

In April, Long An authorities had approved implementation plans for the Long An 1 and Long An 2 LNG-to-power plant projects, aiming for commercial operations from June 2028 and June 2031, respectively.

According to the latest updates from the provincial industry department, a feasibility study is being done for the Long An 1 project towards beginning operations in 2029-2030.

The Long An 2 project is set to begin operating after 2030, as scheduled.

The two projects, located in Can Giuoc district, will feature an LNG pipeline connecting to Hiep Phuoc gas distribution station in the neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

The Long An 1 & 2 power plants are set to connect to the 500-kV Long An transformer station and the 220-kV Ben Luc transformer station in the province.

In March 2021, Long An province granted an investment certificate to VinaCapital GS Energy Pte.Ltd, established by VinaCapital, one of the largest investment management companies in Vietnam, and GS Energy, the energy unit of South Korean chaebol GS Group.

The $3.13-billion project, Vietnam’s first approved conversion from a coal-fired plant to one fired by LNG, is included in the country's latest Power Development Plan VIII (PDP VIII).

In June 2023, Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank), VinaCapital and GS Energy inked a memorandum of understanding on financing the project. The signing took place on the sidelines of the Vietnam-Korea Business Forum held in Hanoi during a three-day state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.