Power boost after successful Vinh Tan 1 facility test

The 1,240MW project is Vietnam’s first thermal power plant to apply pulverised coal combustion technology

According to reports, no problems occurred during testing of the $1.75 billion Vinh Tan 1 build-operate-transfer (BOT) facility. The environmental protection systems were operating effectively in accordance with the design and emission parameters and dust content were reportedly lower than the specified threshold.

According to a representative of Vinh Tan 1, the successful test not only demonstrates the high quality of the project, but also creates a solid foundation for the company.

The 1,240MW project is the first thermal power plant in Vietnam to apply pulverised coal combustion technology. It is slated to play an important role in supplying power to the country’s southern region, as concerns over power supply shortages are growing due to the delays in the Song Hau 1 and Long Phu 1 thermal power plants.

The Vinh Tan venture’s investment proposal was approved by the Vietnamese government in 2006 and a BOT contract was signed in 2013. To keep up with contemporary technology trends and to mitigate causing harm to the environment, the joint venture had proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MoIT) approval to shift into using advanced supercritical boiler technology which helps boost the plant’s power generation efficiency while reducing input fuel volume, as well as ash and cinder emission volumes annually.

As this is the first power plant in Vietnam to use supercritical boiler technology to burn anthracite coal in water, its success would lay the foundations for effective, economical and environmentally-friendly coal usage in the sector.

The high performance ratios of Vinh Tan 1 plant’s electrostatic precipitator system (99.5 per cent), seawater flue gas desulfurisation system (more than 90 per cent) and selective catalytic reduction system (over 68 per cent) ensure the plant will always meet all required environmental standards.

During facility operation, the environmental surveillance system will work around the clock and transmit surveillance data related to exhaust gas, cooling water and others to the Binh Thuan Department of Natural Resources and Environment for supervision.

Vinh Tan 1 is expected to provide more than 7.2 billion kWh per year, increasing the southern region’s electricity supply and helping reduce the region’s dependence on hydropower, especially during the dry season and droughts.

The country’s electricity demand is expected to see an increase of more than 10 per cent per annum in the coming years due to the rising population and accelerating economic growth.

Southern Vietnam, the country’s largest economic hub, which includes Ho Chi Minh City, faces a particularly critical situation with the current imbalance between the existing supply and the increasing demand for electricity. There is therefore urgent need for the development of power generation infrastructure in the region.

At a recent visit to southern provinces, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung urged the acceleration of the pace of constructing thermal power plants and called on investors to upgrade transmission projects as a main task for the next few years.

Tran Viet Ngai, president of the Vietnam Energy Association, also expressed concerns about the power supply in the southern provinces. He called for synchronised solutions to minimise power shortages, including ensuring progress on schedule, operational safety, quality management of power projects, as well as environmental protection and effective power usage.