The 2,400-MW project (with 6 turbines of 400 MW each) was built in Muong La District of the northern border province of Son La. This plant is designed to produce 10.246 billion kWh of electric power per annum, prevent floods and provide water to the Red River Delta.
Its construction was started on December 2, 2005 and its first turbine was put into operation on December 17, 2010. The last turbine was ignited on September 26, 2012. So, this project of national significance was finished 3 years ahead of schedule.
The plant was completely designed and built by Vietnamese engineers and workers. A lot of the project’s equipment was made and installed by domestic companies.
The Son La Plant controls water-flow of the Da River which provides about 50% of the total water of the Red River. Before the construction of the Son La Plants and other projects, the Da River was the cause of many damaging floods in the Red River Delta in 1969 and 1972.
The construction of the Son La Project, as required by the National Assembly, would ensure the safety of the lowlands, including Ha Noi; guarantee national defense and security in the Northwest; mitigate negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity; and generate electric power.
The Son La water reservoir can slow down floods in the Red River while controlling water-flow in the lower section, so as to facilitate cultivation and socio-economic development in the Red River Delta.
Together with the project, many transport routes have been also built and upgraded, connecting the Northwest and other regions in North Viet Nam.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, PM Nguyen Tan Dung highly appreciated the support of over 20,000 local ethnic households by willingly donating their housing and cultivating lands to the project.
At least one individual and 11 units were granted with high-ranking awards for their contributions to the project. Mr. Thai Phung Le, an envoy of the Prime Minister and Deputy Director of the State Steering Committee for the Son Le Project, was conferred with the 1st-grade Labor Medal.
On the occasion, PM Dung assigned relevant agencies, especially the Electricity of Viet Nam, Son La Hydropower Company, and their contractors, to manage and operate the project effectively and safely.
Local governments of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces should pay greater attention to the livelihood of people, particularly those who donate their lands to the project.
“It is possible to say that the Son La Project is a really vivid symbol of our revolutionary heroism and self-reliance in the cause of national construction," the Government chief said.
Source : VGP