LNG Nhon Trach 3&4 Power: An important step in Vietnam's energy transition

The first LNG power project in the green transition journey

Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants are invested by Vietnam Oil and Gas Power Corporation (PV Power) - a member unit of Vietnam National Energy and Industry Group ( Petrovietnam ), with the joint venture of Lilama - Samsung C&T as the EPC General Contractor.

Not only are Nhon Trach 3&4 the first newly built power plants in Vietnam to utilize liquefied natural gas (LNG), but they also clearly demonstrate Petrovietnam's energy transition strategy, ensuring national energy security amidst rapidly increasing demand and contributing to the realization of the net zero emissions target by 2050.

Nhon Trach 3&4 Power Plant, the first newly built LNG-powered power plant in Vietnam, is a clear demonstration of Petrovietnam's energy transition strategy, contributing to achieving the Net Zero target by 2050.

As the main unit of Petrovietnam in the electricity sector, PV Power is currently the second largest electricity producer in the country, operating 8 plants with an installed capacity of up to 4,230 MW and contributing about 280 billion kWh of electricity to the national electricity system.

The completion and operation of Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plants will help supplement high-efficiency base power sources, affirming Petrovietnam/PV Power's capacity in implementing large-scale power projects.

When operating stably, the Nhon Trach 3&4 power plant, with a total capacity of 1,624 MW, is capable of supplying more than 9 billion kWh of electricity per year. This is of great significance in the context of increasing electricity demand in the Southern region, and the growing need for a base power source to balance with renewable energy sources.

The technical highlight of the Plant is the use of GE (USA) 9HA.02 generation gas turbines, the most advanced gas turbine technology in the world today, helping to achieve very high efficiency, up to 62-64%. This is also the highest efficiency level among gas power plants in Vietnam today.

As the country's first LNG power plant project, the Nhon Trach 3&4 power plant faced a series of unprecedented challenges, ranging from a lack of legal frameworks and policy mechanisms for LNG power development; stringent technical requirements; a large volume of investment and construction procedures; and the need for synchronization with the Thi Vai LNG receiving infrastructure.

Capital arrangement is also particularly complicated when the project has a large investment capital scale of billions of USD but does not have a government guarantee. To receive the "nod" from international financial providers, PV Power had to meet a series of strict environmental and social standards. The project has received the support and sponsorship of many prestigious financial institutions such as SACE (Italy), SERV (Switzerland), KSURE (Korea), SMBC (Japan), ING (Netherlands), Citi (USA) and Vietcombank .

The process of raising nearly $1 billion in loan capital demonstrates the financial management capabilities and credibility of the investor - PV Power - in implementing large-scale energy projects.

Along with that are the challenges in connecting to the national grid and releasing capacity, requiring close coordination between investors and related units.

Central control room of Nhon Trach 3&4 power plant.

However, with the determination of the investor and the support of management agencies, the project still ensures progress and quality, creating a foundation for the first two LNG power plants in Vietnam to operate stably.

Thanks to the attention and close direction of the Government; the State Steering Committee for important national projects and works; the Ministry of Industry and Trade and related ministries and branches; and the coordination of the People's Committee of Dong Nai province and units in the industry such as Vietnam Electricity Group, National Power Transmission Corporation, Electricity Trading Company, National Power System and Electricity Market Operation Company Limited; Vietnam Gas Corporation, Tin Nghia Corporation... the problems related to connection, capacity clearance, legality, and site clearance have been resolved, supporting the project to reach the finish line, ensuring progress and quality, creating a foundation for the first two LNG power plants in Vietnam to operate stably.

New future for Vietnam's electricity

Behind a modern LNG power plant lies a massive amount of construction work and the persistent efforts of a team of engineers and workers. Throughout the construction process, 3,257 officials, employees, and workers from the investor, general contractor, and 138 subcontractors participated; approximately 40,000 tons of steel structures and equipment, and 120,000 m³ of concrete were installed. The total working time recorded reached 10 million man-hours. This is clear evidence of the scale and effort of the entire workforce involved in the project.

Behind a modern LNG power plant is a large construction volume and persistent efforts of a team of engineers, workers of contractors, partners and investors.

From the approval of the investment policy in 2019 to the commencement of construction in 2022, Nhon Trach 3&4 Power Plants continuously overcame bottlenecks.

The achievement of that journey was marked by the beginning of 2025, when Nhon Trach 3 Power Plant officially connected to the national grid and a few months later, Nhon Trach 4 completed the same task, creating a pair of pioneering LNG power plants in Vietnam to operate synchronously.

On December 3, 2025, Nhon Trach 4 Project completed state-level acceptance and is expected to complete COD (Commercial Operation Date) on December 20, 2025.

Previously, Nhon Trach 3 Factory was approved by the State Inspection Council for construction acceptance results in October 2025 and completed COD recognition on November 20, 2025.

Nhon Trach 3&4 Power Plants are located in Nhon Trach Power Center, next to Nhon Trach 1 and Nhon Trach 2 plants.

PV Power representative also said that in order to operate the plant without creating new apparatus, PV Power has assigned Nhon Trach Oil and Gas Power Company - which is currently operating Nhon Trach 1 Power Plant - to take over the management and operation of Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plants.

According to the approved plan, the two factories have a staff of 221 people. However, with the experience gained from other PV Power power plants, the operating apparatus of Nhon Trach 3 & 4 has been optimized and only has 119 people, of which about 50% of the engineers operating other factories have transferred back.

The official commercial operation of Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plants also opens a new development phase of Vietnam's electricity, pioneering green transition, optimizing energy efficiency, reducing emissions and moving towards a sustainable future.

Mr. Hoang Van Quang, Chairman of PV Power’s Board of Directors, said that in order to operate the plant effectively in the coming time, PV Power has also identified a number of key tasks. Accordingly, safety awareness and discipline must be given top priority. The plant can only operate stably and effectively when all activities ensure safety for people and equipment.

To ensure a stable and long-term supply of imported LNG fuel for the plant, PV Power has signed a long-term contract with its partner PV GAS. Simultaneously, it focuses on optimizing costs and developing a reasonable pricing strategy in the electricity market to ensure the plant operates safely, efficiently, and competitively.

Contractor and PV Power engineers are monitoring the plant's operations.

In addition, although the operating team already has considerable experience at other power plants within PV Power, with the new generation of machinery and technology, PV Power has plans to continue providing supplementary and in-depth training, especially for engineers and technicians responsible for maintenance and repair, in order to fully master the plant's technology.

The presence of Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plants also opens up new cooperation space with international partners in the fields of technology, modern operational management and green finance, contributing to improving the competitiveness of Vietnam's energy industry.

The investor, PV Power, also committed to safe and efficient operation, ensuring that the two plants operate stably and at high efficiency, strictly adhering to environmental protection regulations, while also fulfilling social welfare responsibilities in the locality and partnering with Dong Nai province in its sustainable development goals.

Considered a pioneering project cluster of LNG power in Vietnam, Nhon Trach 3 & 4 Power Plants have made their mark with a series of “firsts” in terms of technology, scale and implementation progress. The figures show the project’s stature and special role in the national energy transition process:
- This is the first newly constructed LNG power plant project in Vietnam, the first project in the LNG (PV Gas) to Power (PV Power) chain in Petrovietnam's energy transition process.
- The gas-fired thermal power project has the largest capacity in Vietnam at 1,624 MW, with the largest generator in Vietnam at 812 MW
- The project uses GE's 9HA.02 gas turbine with the highest technology, capacity, and efficiency in the world today (64%), with the ability to burn Hydrogen. This is also the project with the highest efficiency in Vietnam (over 62%).
- The first single-shaft project in Vietnam with the configuration of Gas Turbine, Steam Turbine, Generator connected coaxially with a length of about 70 meters, and the allowable deviation is 0.03 mm.
- The value of domestic contractors' implementation accounts for the highest proportion up to now.
- This is the first LNG power project in Vietnam to successfully secure financing without a government guarantee, with a loan value of nearly $1 billion. It has the lowest investment cost in Vietnam to date.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/dien-khi-lng-nhon-trach-34-buoc-di-quan-trong-ve-chuyen-dich-nang-luong-cua-viet-nam-d455516.html