The Prime Minister has finalized the plan to build an LNG-fired thermal power plant in Quynh Lap (Nghe An province).

This is one of the contents in Decision 262/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2024 of the Prime Minister approving the Plan to implement the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 (Power Plan VIII), which has just been authorized by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to sign and issue.

FINALIZED PLAN FOR QUYNH LAP

Perspective view of the Quynh Lap I and II coal-fired power plant project in the National Power Development Plan VII, which was later removed from the National Power Development Plan VIII by the Prime Minister. (Photo: PV)

According to the Implementation Plan for Power Development Plan VIII, the Quynh Lap LNG-fired thermal power plant project, with a capacity of 1,500MW, is being implemented in Nghe An province , with an expected operational year of 2029-2030. However, the Plan also specifies that the exact scale of the power plants in the above list will be determined specifically, in accordance with the capacity range of the generating units during the project implementation phase.

In the development strategy, to both contribute to national energy security and ensure sustainable development without compromising the environment, since November 2020, the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee has proposed the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to stop implementing the Quynh Lap Thermal Power Center (including Quynh Lap I Coal-fired Thermal Power Plant and Quynh Lap II Thermal Power Plant) after a long period of non-implementation.

These two thermal power projects have a total capacity of 2,400MW, with a total investment of approximately $2.2 billion for phase 1 alone, and are being developed by the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industry Group.

Subsequently, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Document No. 975/UBND-CN dated December 8, 2021, requesting the Government to allow the conversion of the Quynh Lap I and II coal-fired power plant projects into LNG gas-fired power plant projects.

Subsequently, in the Power Development Plan VIII approved in May 2023, the Prime Minister agreed to terminate the Quynh Lap I and II Thermal Power Projects; instead, he requested consideration of planning for potential locations in the Quynh Lap area (Nghe An) or Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) to build the Quynh Lap/Nghi Son LNG Thermal Power Plant in the period 2021-2030 with a capacity of 1,500MW.

Thus, compared to the two options considered in the Power Development Plan VIII, namely Quynh Lap or Nghi Son, the recently approved Implementation Plan for Power Development Plan VIII has finalized the option of building the Quynh Lap LNG Thermal Power Plant in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town (Nghe An).

LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is natural gas whose main component is methane (approximately 95%), which is liquefied using deep cooling, making it easier to store and transport to consumption points. Currently, LNG is considered a clean, environmentally friendly fuel and is widely used in many parts of the world. Using LNG in electricity generation helps ensure a diverse range of primary fuel sources for power generation, gradually reducing dependence on coal-fired power plants, improving environmental protection, and aligning with the trend of sustainable development.

DEVELOPING DIVERSIFICATION OF POWER SOURCES

Also in the Implementation Plan for Power Development VIII, by 2030, Nghe An is included in the plan for developing power sources with an onshore wind power capacity of 70MW; an increase of 63MW in small hydropower capacity, from 240 MW to 303 MW; a biomass power capacity of 10MW; a waste-to-energy power capacity of 30MW; and a rooftop solar power capacity of 54MW.

The plan also includes three medium- and large-scale hydropower projects in Nghe An province in the national investment portfolio; these include a 45MW hydropower project on the Hieu River (combined with power generation at the Ban Mong Reservoir Project), expected to be operational in 2024, and the My Ly hydropower project with a capacity of 120MW and the Nam Mo 1 project with a capacity of 51MW, both currently undergoing investment policy adjustments and expected to be operational in 2028.

In addition, two small hydropower projects were also included in the list: Chau Thon hydropower plant (29.8MW), expected to be operational in 2024, and Thong Thu hydropower plant (28MW), expected to be operational in the period 2026-2030.

At the same time, in the list of onshore wind power projects (onshore and nearshore), the Implementation Plan for Power Development VIII includes the construction of the Nam Dan Wind Power Plant with a capacity of 70MW, expected to be operational in the period 2026 - 2030.

Regarding biomass power development, Nghe An province has planned to develop the Quy Hop Biomass Power Plant with a capacity of 10MW, expected to be operational in the period 2026 - 2030.

Nghe An province has the Khe Go Lake solar power project with a capacity of 200MW and the Vuc Mau Lake solar power project with a capacity of 160MW, which are included in the list of solar power projects to be considered after 2030 and will be implemented during the planning period if carried out under the self-production, self-consumption model.

For the Rural and Mountainous Areas and Island Power Supply Program, the Plan for the Implementation of the Power Plan VIII sets the target of supplying power to 18,581 households in Nghe An in 154 villages and hamlets in 88 communes. The planned construction is 136 transformer stations, 439 km of medium-voltage lines and 253 km of low-voltage lines. The total capital requirement for implementation is 640 billion VND.

In Nghe An province, the State will invest in a new 500kV Nam Cam switching station, connecting to the new 500kV Vung Ang - Nho Quan transmission line (new), with commissioning scheduled for 2026-2030, and a 1,800MVA Quynh Luu substation, with commissioning scheduled for 2023-2025.

In addition, a series of 220kV substations will be newly built and renovated in the districts of Tuong Duong, Quy Hop, Do Luong, and the Nam Cam Industrial Zone.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/thu-tuong-chinh-phu-chot-phuong-an-xay-dung-nha-may-nhiet-dien-khi-lng-tai-quynh-lap-nghe-an-post287227.html