Powering Prosperity

The Vinh Tan Coal Power Plant Phase I project in southeast Vietnam’s Binh Thuan province is the first Chinese-invested project adopting a Build-Operate-Transfer （BOT） model in Vietnam.

It is also a major project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative， and has been included in the list of key China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation projects. As the largest Chinese-invested project in Vietnam and a key project for the two governments in promoting cooperation in infrastructure， production capacity and interconnectivity， it has attracted a lot of attention from both sides.

Easing Power Shortages in Southern Vietnam

The total planned investment in the Vinh Tan power project is US$1.755 billion， with 55 percent from China Southern Power Grid （CSG）， 40 percent from China Power International Development Limited （China Power） and 5 percent from PV Power Coal. The project is expected to be completed in four years， and the general contractor is a combination of the Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Company and the Guangdong Power Engineering Company， both of which are subsidiaries of China Energy Engineering Corporation （CEEC）. Two supercritical coal-fired units （600，000 kilowatts） will be built for 25 years of franchise operation before being transferred to the Vietnamese government for free.

The project has drawn wide attention for two reasons. First， the annual generating capacity of the power plant will total 8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity， which will ease power shortages in the key economic zones of southern Vietnam. Second， the project marks the first time that Chinese enterprises have explored production capacity cooperation in Vietnam following the BOT model.

The Vinh Tan project has fully adopted Chinese standards for a “Made in China” project， which leads the way for China’s financing， design， equipment and construction industries to “go global”， worth more than 8.7 billion yuan （US$1.35 billion）.

“Together with the other two investors， CSG is ready to apply China’s most advanced electric power equipment and technology to this project. With advanced equipment and technology that reduces coal consumption as well as emissions， we’ll set an example of Chinese equipment and technology ‘going global’，” said Zhang Tanzhi， board chairman of the project complex.

During an inspection tour of the project， Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiaoyong emphasized that this is a key production capacity cooperation project listed in the five-year plan of Sino-Vietnamese economic and trade cooperation， as well as the five-year plan of land infrastructure cooperation， which is of great significance to promoting the Belt and Road Initiative as well as pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

Ensuring Workers’ Safety

When our reporter visited the construction site of the Vinh Tan project， he was impressed with the national flags of China and Vietnam on a huge display board.

The Chinese construction team emphasizes that “safety is of paramount importance” while the Vietnamese team also stresses “safety first”. The two sides have found common ground on this point. Upon entering the construction area， workers are expected to check their safety helmets and professional shoes in the mirror.

At the site itself， there lies a 10-centimeter-wide single-plank bridge just 20 centimeters above ground. Liang Wenjiong， manager of the complex engineering department， explained that the bridge is one of the tests that the workers have to pass before they are considered ready to start working. Safe passage is an indication of their fitness， which is helpful in preventing the occurrence of workplace accidents.

Binh Thuan province is in southeast Vietnam， where the sun is scorching on clear days. The region’s unique climate is quite challenging for the construction workers. Cai Chao， a field engineer of the production management department， has tanned skin. Strong UV radiation is the first thing one has to cope with while working on the project， he said.

Unexpected rainstorms can be hazardous for new structures. Liang told us that on an early morning during the primary stage of construction， the rainfall was so heavy that the drainage channels failed before the rainwater flooded the chimney ground work. To prevent accidents from happening， a draining operation was kicked off immediately. A deeper and wider drainage channel was dug， which kept the workers busy until the next afternoon.

“The most important issue is to ensure the safety of the workers of both sides，” Liang said.

Ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival， the project complex attached more importance to safety. The engineering department carried out special safety inspections at the high-risk work of all sectors. They further implemented emergency-preparedness measures and organized emergency drills to ensure safety in future work.

Timely Completion Expected

At the busy construction site， construction teams have worked extremely hard and overcome a variety of difficulties. All the important work has been completed on time or ahead of schedule. On Feb. 29， 2016， the steel structure of the No. 1 boiler was hoisted. Equipment installation was in full swing. On Nov. 10， 2016， the plate girder of the No. 2 boiler was hoisted successfully.

The Belt and Road Initiative has brought tangible benefits to the people of Vietnam， and the people of Binh Thuan province have high hopes for the Vinh Tan project. Phan Dinh Van， a resident of Ninh Phuoc in Ninh Thuan province， said that people have traveled south to Binh Duong province to work in the industrial parks there.

“Binh Duong is more than 300 kilometers from here. It takes seven to eight hours to travel there by bus. When the Chinese-invested power plant is built， our young people can work in the power plant instead of far-away destinations，” Phan said.

Le Uyen， who is working with the project， echoed Phan’s sentiment. Le is a native of Vinh Tan. She majored in English at the Foreign Trade University in Ho Chi Minh City. Upon graduation， she stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a time.

“The city is so far from my hometown. That’s why I chose to come back here to work for this new project，” Le said. Her new job is a technical one involving digitizing Chinese engineers’ drawings to prepare them for review.

Le Tien Phuong， Chairman of the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee， expressed optimism for the outcome of the project.

“I hope the project will be completed as soon as possible，” he said. “When it begins operating and makes a profit， it will create tax revenue for the local government and promote the local economy， which will attract more investment in our province from a growing number of investors.”