ĐÀ NẴNG — Đà Nẵng urged the construction of the first phase of the 1,500MW Hòa Ninh LNG Power Plant from 2030, rather than starting in 2031, to provide key sources of energy for the next era of growth.

Vice Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Phan Thái Bình made the statement at a conference on the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants. 

Bình said that Đà Nẵng has started construction on a series of energy-intensive projects, including in high-tech industries and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as developments in the city's Free Trade Zone and International Finance Centre and the deep-sea Liên Chiểu Port.

According to Bình, the Hòa Ninh LNG Power Plant, which is situated in the new Hòa Ninh Industrial Park, will be providing a main low-carbon energy source for Đà Nẵng and for the whole central region, including logistics and other high-tech industries.

The US$1.59 billion plant will be designed to link up with the Liên Chiểu Liquid and Gas Port Complex, a chain of LNG storage systems from Đà Nẵng to the Chu Lai Industrial Zone and Quảng Ngãi’s Dung Quất IP, as well as five other planned gas power plants in the region.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Sinh Nhật Tân said that the development of 22 LNG power plants from 2030 to 2045 will serve the country’s double-digit economic growth.

 

He said the ministry has planned for 15 facilities to begin operations before 2030, with the first two – Nhơn Trạch 3 and Nhơn Trạch 4 – built by State energy giant Petrovietnam at a cost of $1.4 billion and already operating.

Nguyễn Văn Trừ, deputy director of Đà Nẵng’s Department of Industry and Trade, said the planned Liên Chiểu LNG storage facility should increase capacity from one to two million tonnes by 2030, before expanding to five million tonnes after 2030.

Meanwhile, Phạm Văn Cường, deputy director of Đồng Nai Province's Department of Industry and Trade, said that the operation of the Nhơn Trạch 3 and Nhơn Trạch 4 plants with total design capacity of 1,624MW would supply nine billion kilowatts per hour per year, with an estimated revenue of VNĐ27 trillion ($1 billion) in 2026.

Director of PV Power Corporation's power project management board Lê Bá Quý said the twin Nhơn Trạch 3 and Nhơn Trạch 4 plants, which have GE's 9HA.02 gas turbines – currently the world's most advanced in terms of capacity and efficiency – achieve around 63 per cent efficiency and can blend in hydrogen.

The technology could be used at the Hòa Ninh plant project, he suggested. 

 

Bùi Quốc Hùng, deputy head of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority, said LNG-fired power projects have been seen as a possible alternative option for coal-powered plants, as they reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent compared to coal, supporting Việt Nam's target of net zero emissions by 2050.

He also warned that LNG power plants will face challenges in their dependence on imported gas and fluctuating global market prices.

Economist Trần Đình Thiên said Việt Nam should restructure its energy industry in terms of energy security, supply scale and cost to make it a leading source of green growth. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that 15 LNG power plants with a total capacity of 22,524MW have been designed. — VNS