Vietnam to build first pumped storage plant

Dong Phu Yen Pumped-Storage Power Station, a Vietnam hydropower and energy storage project, pairs pump turbines with reservoirs to add 1,500 MW, bolster grid stability near Son La, with EVN and JICA backing.

Last month, Electricity of Vietnam EVN, in association with Japan International Cooperation Agency Vietnam JICA Vietnam and Xuan Thien Ninh Binh Company Limited, announced that it would be building the country's first pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in the Son La Province.

Mountainous Son La is about 200 kilometers from Hanoi and shares a southern border with Laos. The exact location of the plant is yet to be determined; however, as Vietnam considers retail power price increases across the country, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has given his seal of approval to the project.

As of now, EVN and its associates are developing the project scope, and construction is scheduled to commence during the second quarter of 2013, echoing progress on a major power line in the western United States that highlights permitting timelines. The Dong Phu Yen Pumped-Storage Power Station is planned to house five 300-megawatt MW pump turbine generators to produce 1,500 MW when completed and operational in 2018. EVN, JICA Vietnam, and Xuan Thien Ninh Binh are planning to begin searching for equipment providers and subcontractors, including HV transformers solutions from global manufacturers, after they have completed the scope of the project. The project is estimated to cost US$1 billion.

JICA is a well-known Japanese governmental organization that provides official developmental assistance on behalf of the government of Japan. The organization is merged with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation JBIC and is responsible for dispensing loans to developing countries, including initiatives comparable to major interconnection contracts in China undertaken with international suppliers. JICA and EVN have worked together on numerous projects to develop Vietnam's installed power supply, as utilities also pursue transmission partnerships to expand regional grids.

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