Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) today said it will remove 471 small and cascade hydropower plants from its Power Development Plan 7 (PDP 7) that would have had a combined installed capacity of 2,059 MW. MOIT also rejected another 213 potential projects because of environmental and efficiency concerns, according to locally published reports.
According to MOIT, eight of the projects removed from PDP 7 include: Pa Ma, Huoi Tao, Song Giang, Duc Xuyen, Dong Nai 6, Dong Nai 6A, Ta Lai and Ngoc Dinh, which combined have a capacity of 655 MW.
The other 463 small hydropower projects, defined by the MOIT as those generating 30 MW or less, have a total capacity of 1,404 MW.
The capacity of the other 213 potential projects is not immediately available.
Unveiled in late March, Vietnam’s revised PDP 7 set out a blueprint for expanding power generation by using a mix of energy sources. The plan foresees US$148 billion worth of investments in generation and distribution capacity through to 2030, with installed capacity to rise to more than 135 GW, according to published reports.
According to the plan, around $40 billion will be invested between 2016 and 2020, of which 75% will be allocated for increasing power generation and 25% will go towards network development. The remaining $108 billion, to be invested between 2021 and 2030, will be similarly apportioned.
The decision to remove the plants was arrived upon after a three-year review conducted in collaboration with province legislative officials in which the hydropower projects were planned, according to MOIT.
Read more at Hydro World
