Vung Ang 1 thermal power plant’s first turbine resumes operation

The 1,200 MW Vung Ang I thermal power plant in the central province of Ha Tinh has resumed operating its first turbine after a two-year disruption caused by technical problems.

A representative of the plant, invested in by the Ha Tinh Petrovietnam Power Company - a subsidiary of the Petrovietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), said Sunday that the turbine officially resumed operations Saturday evening and was running smoothly beyond its designed capacity of 600 megawatts.

The turbine was shut down in September 2021 because of technical problems that prompted an overhaul by hundreds of engineers with more than 10 domestic contractors as well as dozens of foreign experts.

“The timely resumption of the turbine is a good sign, meeting the urgent demand for electricity in the current period,” said the source who did not want to be named.

Vung Ang 1 is the largest coal-fired power plant in the central region, consisting of two 600-MW turbines.

Located in Ha Tinh province’s Ky Anh town, the power plant had an initial investment capital of VND22.25 trillion ($976.8 million), which was raised to VND33.57 trillion ($1.47 billion) by April 2016.

The plant had its first turbine enter commercial operations on December 31, 2014 and its second on May 12, 2015.

From January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2022, the plant generated 38.91 billion kWh, aiding electricity supply in the northern region.

It generated 538.6 million kWh and consumed 243,000 tons of coal in the first two months of this year, reaping revenues of VND1.04 trillion ($44.01 million), according to its investor PV Power.

Thermal power remained the biggest power source in Vietnam in the first two months of this year, with 16.47 billion kWh, or 42.7% of a total of 38.61 billion kWh, according to state utility Vietnam Electricity.

Other key electricity sources were hydropower with 10.57 billion kWh, or 27.4% of the total; gas-fired electricity with 4.32 billion kWh, or 11.2%; renewable energy (solar and wind power) with 6.45 billion kWh, or 16.7%; and imported electricity with 735 million kWh, or 1.9%.