Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Complex: An industrial model in the swampy area on the edge of U Minh forest

(Chinhphu.vn) - From a land of only forest and water, the swampy area on the edge of U Minh forest has today become the Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster, a key national project, symbolizing the aspiration to master technology and conquer difficult lands.

Panorama of Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster

From the dream of a transoceanic gas pipeline

The journey of the Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster began in 1997, when the first gas streams at the PM3-CAA mine were discovered, opening up the hope of bringing gas to the land at the end of the Fatherland that lacked electricity, and people still had to use "oil lamps" at high costs. In 2001, the project was deployed in Khanh An commune (former U Minh district).

According to Mr. Pham Thanh Tri, former Chairman of the People's Council of Ca Mau province, who was transferred to the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation to take on the role of Deputy Head of the Project Management Board, at that time the Board only had a few people, temporarily borrowed a house as headquarters, went on a survey by motorbike and started with the most difficult tasks: Compensation, clearance, and leveling. Thanks to his understanding of the area and "reasonable" mass mobilization, in just 3 months, 234 households were mobilized to agree. Seven months later, nearly 300 hectares of clean land were handed over - a record for a national key project on difficult land.

In the same year 2001, the PM3 - Ca Mau pipeline project, more than 325 km long, of which 298 km crosses the sea, officially started construction. In 2007, the first gas stream reached the shore, creating the foundation for a new development step: Converting gas into electricity and fertilizer.

In the swampy area on the edge of U Minh forest, a complex of power plants and fertilizer plants quickly took shape. Ca Mau 1 and 2 power plants (750 MW each) operated in the 2007-2008 period, contributing to eliminating power shortages in the West. In 2012, Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant came into operation, becoming an important source of urea supply for the whole country.

Since 2007, Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster has played a central role in the energy value chain and is one of Petrovietnam 's most efficient industrial clusters.

A corner of Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant

In terms of energy, the Ca Mau 1 and 2 power plants have produced a total of more than 100 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for a significant proportion of the country's total gas-fired power capacity. Not only providing stable electricity for the Southwest region, the power cluster is also an important source of regulation in the operation of the national power system, especially during periods of hydropower shortage.

Regarding fertilizers, Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant has maintained stable output, even exceeding its design capacity for many years. As of 2024, the plant has supplied more than 10 million tons of urea to the market. In the context of fluctuating global fertilizer prices, Ca Mau Fertilizer is a force that balances the domestic market, contributing to stabilizing agricultural production, the backbone of the economy .

In terms of finance, member units such as PV GAS Ca Mau, PV Power Ca Mau, PVCFC not only achieved positive business results but also contributed greatly to the local and central budgets. Specifically, Ca Mau Fertilizer contributes an average of about 4,000 - 6,000 billion VND/year to the budget. In 2023 alone, this group will contribute more than 15,000 billion VND, equivalent to nearly 10% of the total budget revenue of Ca Mau province.

During a visit to the Gas - Power - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster at the end of 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the development of the Cluster is of great significance to Ca Mau province and has many distinct potentials, outstanding opportunities and competitive advantages. The Prime Minister requested that the province in the coming time focus on developing renewable energy, supporting investors to expand the Gas - Power - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster quickly, promptly and on a larger scale.

Mr. Lam Anh Lu, former Deputy Captain of Ca Mau Town, was moved when recalling the difficult years before the Industrial Cluster appeared - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong

'Life-changing' in a difficult land

Having lived in Ca Mau for more than half a century, Mr. Lam Anh Lu, former Deputy Captain of Ca Mau Town, still cannot hide his emotions when recalling the difficult years. He said that this place used to be just a wild swamp, sparsely populated, and difficult to access. The electricity grid was unstable, especially in rural areas.

The turning point came when the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation (now the Vietnam National Energy and Industry Group, Petrovietnam) decided to invest in the Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Complex. Along with the project, people were compensated and resettled. Trade and service industries... also developed accordingly, creating stable livelihoods for hundreds of households. Road traffic became more and more convenient, especially electricity, roads, schools, and stations reaching the U Minh forest.

"I have witnessed this land go from wilderness to what it is today and every change is a source of pride," Mr. Lu said emotionally.

Mr. Pham Van Hieu, Vice Chairman of Khanh An Commune People's Committee: The Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster has made many practical contributions to the local socio-economic development - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong

Mr. Pham Van Hieu, Vice Chairman of Khanh An Commune People's Committee, stated that, as a key industrial complex of the province, the Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster has made many practical contributions to the socio-economic development of the locality such as creating direct and indirect jobs for people in Khanh An commune in the fields of transportation, services, supply of materials, technology and unskilled labor; Contributing to promoting trade and service activities, increasing production value and improving the lives of people around the area.

Along with that, support localities in upgrading infrastructure, maintaining landscapes, protecting the environment, contributing to building new rural areas in the area.

"These contributions not only have economic value but also have a long-term impact on the social development of Khanh An," said Mr. Hieu.

In addition, the leaders of Khanh An commune highly appreciated the role of the Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster in social security work. Every year, the Cluster spends over 4 billion VND to support many humane, practical, and targeted programs.

Local leaders also expressed their hope that the Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster will continue to promote its role as a business accompanying the community, maintain good current coordination and further expand activities for the common development of Khanh An commune.

Ca Mau Gas Processing Plant - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong

Green energy transition

In the context of energy transition and the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, Ca Mau Gas - Electricity - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster is not left out. Power plants have been implementing a series of solutions to optimize turbine operation, reduce gas consumption, utilize excess gas to generate additional power, and gradually approach LNG power technology when PM3 sources show signs of decline.

In particular, Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant is transforming strongly with the goal of becoming a "green" fertilizer producer by researching and introducing urea products with added microorganisms, reducing N2O emissions, a strong greenhouse gas. At the same time, the plant is also building an advanced wastewater and exhaust gas treatment system that meets European standards, aiming for the model of "green factory - sustainable community".

Ca Mau Power Plant - Photo: VGP/Vu Phong

Not only production, the Industrial Cluster is also the cradle of training high-quality human resources for the Southern energy industry. Many engineers, shift leaders, and technicians who have grown up in Ca Mau have been mobilized and rotated to expand Petrovietnam's "industrial map" from the South to the North.

As the country enters a new phase of the Power Plan VIII, developing renewable energy, LNG power and shifting to a green economy, the integrated model of the Ca Mau Gas - Power - Fertilizer Industrial Cluster is being re-evaluated as a model. It is not just an industrial cluster, it is an ecosystem capable of adapting, integrating and optimizing the value chain, which is what the Vietnamese energy industry is in dire need of.

Anh Tho

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/cum-khi-dien-dam-ca-mau-hinh-mau-cong-nghiep-tren-vung-trung-lay-ven-rung-u-minh-102251205110416518.htm