Construction of the 173MW An Khe–Kanak hydroelectric power project has begun in the central highlands province of Gia Lai, Vietnam.
The US$236M scheme, on Ba river, has been invested in by Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and is expected to generate 685kWh/yr, bringing an annual turnover of US$29M.
An Khe power plant has a capacity of 160MW, and the remaining 13MW will be produced at Kanak hydro power plant on the same river.
The project will also provide irrigation for more than 4700ha of agricultural land in Binh Dinh province.
Both structures are expected to be complete in 2009.